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J LIBRARY OF CONGRESS;? 

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THE 






BIBLE-SCHOLAR'S MANUAL: 






EMBRACING A GENERAL ACCOUNT OP 






THE BOOKS AND WRITERS OF THE OLD AND 

NEW TESTAMENTS, THE GEOGRAPHY AND 

HISTORY OF PALESTINE, THE HISTORY 

AND CUSTOMS OF THE JEWS, ETC. 

FOR BIBLE CLASSES AND GENERAL READING. 



BY REV. B. K. PEIRCE. 

EDITED BY DANIEL P. KIDDER. 






PUBLISHED BY LANE & TIPPETT, 

FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH, 200 MULBERRY-STREET. 

JOSEPH LONGKING, PRINTER. 

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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by 
G. Lane & C. B. Tippett, in the Clerk's Office of the District 
Court of the Southern District of New-York. 












PREFACE. 



Next to the salvation of the soul, the object of sab- 
bath-school instruction is to give the pupil a perfect 
acquaintance with the Scriptures. In order to secure 
this, the study of Scripture history, geography, and the 
customs and manners of eastern nations, becomes very 
important, and may not only be properly admitted into 
a course of sabbath-school instruction, but should even 
be insisted upon. 

In the succeeding pages, an attempt has been made to 
give a summary of such geographical, historical, and 
local references, and such customs and manners, as are 
most important to be understood before entering upon 
the critical study of the word of God. 

Of course one of the principal objects of the work, 
when used as a text-book, will be lost, unless the lessons 
are committed, since many of the benefits to be derived 
from the volume are to be realized when it is laid aside 
and another used. 

We esteem it a great misfortune that in many of our 
schools the custom of committing the lesson is abolished. 
To impress ineffaceably upon the mind important 
truths, and, above all, to thoroughly imbue young minds 
with Bible precepts and promises, the lessons should 
be carefully prepared and clearly imprinted upon the 
memory. 

The blessing of Him whose Spirit inspired the Holy 
Bible is earnestly asked upon this humble effort to eluci- 
date and explain its heavenly pages ! 



CONTENTS 



PART I. 

GENERAL VIEW OF THE BIBLE : BOOKS AND 
WRITERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 

CHAPTER I. — NAMES AND CHARACTER OF THE BIBLE. 

Titles of the inspired volume— Sacred Scriptures — Canonical 
Scriptures — Apocryphal Scriptures — The Bible — Remark by 
Bishop Home — Preservation and circulation of Scriptures. 

Page 11 

CHAPTER H. — DIVISIONS AND HISTORY OF THE BIBLE. 
Divisions of the Scriptures, Old and New Testament— Explana- 
tion of the term Testament — Subdivision of the Old Testament — 
Law— Prophets — Hagiography — Division into chapters — Para- 
graph Bible — Collection of the books of the Old Testament — 
Books of the New Testament — Catalogue of Origen — Transla- 
tions — English version— King James's Bible — Manner of its exe- 
cution — Opinions of its character — Dr. Geddes— Dr. Clarke . 13 

CHAPTER III. — PENTATEUCH. 
Author of Pentateuch — Meaning of term— Book of Genesis — 
Book of Exodus — Leviticus— Numbers — Deuteronomy — Remarks 
upon Deuteronomy, in connection with the Epistle to the He- 
brews — Origin of term Moses— Early life and education— Journey 
to Canaan — Reasons for his not entering the promised land- 
Death 21 

CHAPTER IV. — HISTORICAL BOOKS. 
Historical books — Period comprehended — Authorship of these 
books — Book of Joshua— Book of Judges — Ruth— Two Books of 
Samuel— Kings, First Book, Second Book— Two Books of Chroni- 
cles — Author — Design — Book of Ezra — Author — Sketch of Ezra's 
life — Labor upon the sacred writings — Book of Nehemiah — 
Sketch of life— Character — Book of Esther — Objections to the in- 
spiration of this book answered — Feast of Purim — Modern cele- 
bration 25 

CHAPTER V. — POETICAL BOOKS. 
Names of poetical books — Job— Opinions of this book— Reasons 
for the belief that Job was a real personage — Author of book — 
Character of book— Book of Psalms— Author— Singing of Psalms 



CONTENTS. 5 

— Remarks of Athanasius — Basil — Luther — Melancthon — Book 
of Proverbs— Scope of this book — Book of Ecclesiastes — Ten- 
dency and plan — Song of Solomon — Remarks . . Page 39 

CHAPTER VI.— PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 
Prophetical books — Why so called — Book of Jonah — Author — 
Time— Jonah in the belly of the whale— Incident in the Mediter- 
ranean—Style of Jonah — Book of Amos — Sketch and time of 
prophesying — Burden of his book — Bishop Lowth's remark upon 
Amos — Hosea — Character of his prophecies — Style — Book of 
Isaiah— Life and times— Jewish tradition— Name— Remarks upon 
this book — Bishop Lowth's opinion— Jerome ... 49 

CHAPTER VII. — PROPHETICAL BOOKS CONTINUED. 
Joel — Life and times — Prophecies — Style — Micah— Prophecy of 
Messiah — Bishop Lowth's remarks — Nahum — His prophecy — 
Style — Zephaniah — Style— Jeremiah— Age of his entrance upon 
prophetic office— Carried to Egypt — Tradition as to his death — 
Style of Jeremiah — Habakkuk — Subject of prophecies — Style — 
Daniel— Sketch of life and general reputation — Death — Josephus's 
remarks in reference to him— Reason of his not appearing among 
the prophets in the Hebrew Bible — Obadiah — Ezekiel — Significa- 
tion of name — Residence— Tradition concerning his death— Cor- 
respondence with Jeremiah— Style — Book of Haggai — Sketch of 
life— Style — Zechariah — Object of prophecy — Style — Malachi — 
Signification of name— Authorship of book — Style . . 57 

PART II. 
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF PALESTINE. 

CHAPTER I. — DIVISION OF PALESTINE AMONG- THE TWELVE 
TRIBES. 

Division of Canaan— Names of tribes — Levi and Joseph — Reu- 
ben's possession — Principal towns — Territory of Gad— Noted 
places — Half tribe of Manasseh — Principal towns — Asher, town 
of note— Naphtali — Towns — Zebulon — Towns— Is sachar— Cele- 
brated places— Manasseh — Towns — Ephraim — Places of note — 
Dan — Towns — Simeon — Towns of eminence — Benjamin — Towns 
— Judah — Towns 71 

CHAPTER IL— GENERAL VIEW OF PALESTINE. 

Its. names — Boundaries— Interest connected with its history — 

First settlement— Original fertility— Jordan — Lake Gennesareth — 

Population around — Connection with our Saviour — Storms of 

wind — Present appearance 76 

CHAPTER III. — LAKES AND MOUNTAINS OF PALESTINE. 

Lake Asphaltites — Its situation— Size — Appearance— History — 
Peculiarities of its water— The surrounding desolations — Certain 
mistaken reports noticed— Manner of its discharge— Mountains 



6 CONTENTS. 

of Palestine — Distinguishing this country from Egypt— Mount 
Lebanon — The fragrance of its vineyards and cedars — Cedars of 
Lebanon, noticed by Rev. H. Maundrell — Peaks of Lebanon — 
Hermon — Mountains of Abarim— Nebo and Pisgah— Mount Seir— 
Gilboa— Carmel— Tabor— Mount of Beatitudes . . Page 82 

CHAPTER IV. — JERUSALEM. 

Early history — Situation— Soil— Taken by David— Mount Zion 
— Moriah — Olives — Valley of Jehoshaphat — Gethsemane — Calva- 
ry — Valley of Hinnom — Walls — The first temple — Destroyed and 
rebuilt — Enlarged and beautified by Herod — Destruction of Jeru- 
salem and the Jews— History until present time— Present ap- 
pearance of city — Inhabitants 89 

CHAPTER V. — GENERAL DIVISIONS — GALILEE. 
Palestine divided into five provinces— Galilee — Its situation and 
soil — Productions— Extent of Upper Galilee — Cesarea Philippi — 
Its chief town — Lower Galilee — Former flourishing state — Resi- 
dence of Christ — Principal cities — Tiberias — Its history — Rabbi- 
nical school— Present state — Chorazin and Bethsaida — No traces 
of them left — Nazareth— Cana — Capernaum — Entirely disappear- 
ed — Nain — Cesarea, a seaport on the Mediterranean, where 
Herod Agrippa died 95 

CHAPTER VI. — SAMARIA. 
Second general division — Samaria — Its situation and fertility — 
Its capital — Samaria— Events transpiring here as narrated in the 
Scriptures — Inhabitants after the captivity — Succeeding history — 
Present state — Sichem or Shechem — Early history — Situation — 
Mount Ebal and Gerizim — Joshua's valedictory— Royal city — Be- 
came chief city of the Samaritans— Their worship — Sychar in the 
days of Christ — Jacob's well — Present appearance — Clarke . 99 

CHAPTER VII. — JUDEA. 
The third general division — Judea — Boundaries and extent — 
Soil — Interest of its history — Principal cities— Bethlehem — Early 
history — Rachel died, and was buried near this town — David's 
birthplace — Boaz — Birthplace of Christ — Present situation and 
appearance — Convent over the reputed place of our Lord's birth — 
Hebron — Old city — Country round — Abraham— David — Zacharias 
and Elizabeth— John the Baptist — Situation and present appear- 
ance—Inhabitants — Harem over the tomb of the patriarchs— In- 
cident related by Dr. Robinson — Jericho — Its present appearance — 
Situation— Inhabitants — Ancient Jericho — Bible history — Herod— 
Zaccheus — Good Samaritan— Temptation of Christ — Joppa— Lyd- 
da— Bethany— Rama— Arimathea— Emmaus . . .104 

CHAPTER Vin. — REMAINING DIVISIONS. 
Not often mentioned in the New Testament— Peraea— Abi- 
lene — Trachonitis— Itureea— Herod Philip — Gaulonitis and Bata- 
naea— Fortress of Machaeras— Decapolis — Idumaea— Sidon— Tyre 
—Prophecy fulfilled 114 



CONTENTS. 7 

PART III. 
HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF THE JEWS. 

CHAPTER I.— THE JEWS TO THE CAPTIVITY. 

The various names of the Jews — Abraham— His call— Jour- 
ney to Canaan— Ishmael — Isaac — Esau— Jacob— Joseph — Jacob's 
family in Egypt — Hebrews enslaved — Moses — Wanderings in the 
wilderness — Land of Canaan — Judges — Saul appointed king — 
David — Solomon — Separation of ten tribes— Their fate — Jerusa- 
lem taken by Nebuchadnezzar Page 119 

CHAPTER H. — HISTORY OF THE JEWS FROM THE CAPTIVITY 
UNTIL THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. 

Captivity— Cyrus conquers Babylon— Exiles go up to Jerusa- 
lem under Zerubbabel and Ezra — Second temple — Nehemiah — 
Alexander enraged at the Jews— Conciliated by a remarkable oc- 
currence — Judea after Alexander's death — Antiochus Epiphanes 
— The Maccabees— Hircanus and Aristobulus — Pompey — Herod 
the Great — The Saviour — The temple beautified — Prophecy of 
Christ . . . . . . . . . . .124 

CHAPTER m.~ RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL SECTS AMONG THE 
JEWS. 

Pharisees — Origin — Professed sanctity — Religious peculiarities 
— Sadducees — Early history — Character — Religious views — Es- 
senes — Manners and habits — Religious belief— Scribes and law- 
yers—Employment — Distinction between them — Samaritans — 
Origin — Religious views — Place of worship — Enmity to Jews — 
Holy writings— Present state— Herodians— Galileans . . 130 

CHAPTER IV. — SACRED AND CIVIL OFFICERS. 

Levites — Their introduction among the Jews — Their duties in 
the tabernacle — In the temple— Out of the temple — Courses — 
Support — Priests — First institution — Specific duties — Classes ar- 
ranged by David — Lots — Different offices — Morning offering of in- 
cense beautifully symbolical of prayer — Support— High priest- 
Office — Rank — Succession — Dress of ordinary priest — Dress of 
high priest — High priest symbolical of Christ . . . 136 

CHAPTER V. — SACRED PLACES. 

The temple — Its size — Form — Arrangements — Rites — Holy of 
holies — Its dazzling beauty — Morning service at length — Syna- 
gogues — Their origin — Object— Officers — Exercises . . 141 

CHAPTER VI.— SACRED SEASONS. 

Sabbath — Its institution and observance — The day observed by 
the Jews, and its change— Its exercises— The passover— When 



8 CONTENTS. 

instituted— Description of its rites— Of what typical— The feast 
of pentecost— Origin of its name and institution — Manner of cele- 
bration—Preaching of Peter — The feast of tabernacles — Different 
names— Custom of Jews — Allusion of our Lord . Page 148 

CHAPTER VII. — MARRIAGE AND FUNERAL RITES. 
Marriage rites — Early customs — Betrothing — Marriage ceremo- 
ny—Marriage feast and attendant customs — Incident— Funeral 
rites — Treatment of body — Embalming by Egyptians — Jewish 
manner— Mourning — Tombs — Allusion of our Lord . . 152 

CHAPTER VIII. — SANHEDRIM— INNS — BOOKS. 

Sanhedrim — Origin — Numbers — Qualification of members — 
Place of meeting — Supreme court — Christ — Stephen — Saul — 
Peter — Smaller councils — Inns — Lodgings in the East — Appear- 
ance of khans — Description — Recesses — Birth of Christ — Books 
on stone — Parchment — Tablets — Wax— Stands . . 158 

CHAPTER IX. — LEPROSY — DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS. 

Leprosy— First appearance— Progress— Different species — Mo- 
saic precepts — Habitation, dress, &c, of leprous men — Demoni- 
acal possessions— Opposite views — Opinions of best Bible students 
— Practical remarks . . IM 

CHAPTER X. — DRESS — FLOCKS. 

Stationary character of the East— Substances of dress — Cha 
racter — Tunic — Vest— Girdle — Scripture allusions— Veil— Hair 
braided with jewels— Oils— Sandals — Sheep — Large tails — Wealth 
of eastern men— Jacob— David — Birth of our Saviour — Affection 
of flocks for the shepherd — Incident on Mount Lebanon— Lan- 
guage of our Saviour illustrated — Scripture figure . . 170 

CHAPTER XI. — HOUSES — TIME. 

Houses — Material — Construction — Open space in centre — Roofs 
— Reference to Peter praying — Bed— Couch — Position at meals — 
Reference to John, and to Mary, who anointed our Lord's feet — Cu- 
linary instruments— Hand-mills — Scripture illustrations— Ovens 
— Water jars — Leathern bottles — Manner of computing time — 
Hours not known in Moses' time — First noticed in Daniel's 
writings — Jewish day — Manner of reckoning hours — Watches — 
Division of the year— Additional month— Its commencement 175 

CHAPTER XII.— TREES MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

Fig-tree — Fruit — The fig-tree cursed by our Lord — Olive-tree — 
Description — Age — Attention paid it by the Jews — Scripture allu- 
sions — Olive oil — Emblem of peace — Rom. xi — Sycamore-tree — 
Fruit— Its root an illustration of Scripture — Mustard-tree — The 
vine — Great size of fruit — Abundance — Expressing the juice — 
Allusions in Scripture to this— Treading out grapes— Vine.over the 
temple gate— Stalks used for fuel .' . . . ".. 182 



CONTENTS. 9 

CHAPTER XIH. — JERUSALEM AND THE JEWS FROM THE CRUCI- 
FIXION UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME. 

Roman officers— Nero and Florus — War in Galilee — Situation 
of country — Titus— The siege of Jerusalem — Destruction of tem- 
ple— Barcochab— Fulfillment of prophecy — Adrian— The church 
at Jerusalem— Constantine — Jews attempt to rebuild Jerusalem 
— Pilgrims— Chozroes, the Persian — Omar, the Mohammedan — 
Turks — Persecutions of pilgrims — Peter the Hermit — The crusa- 
ders — Palestine becomes a portion of the Ottoman empire— Pre- 
sent state Page 190 

CHAPTER XIV.— SUFFERING- OF THE JEWS SINCE THE DEATH OF 
CHRIST. 
Imprecation in Pilate's judgment hall— Fulfillment — Butchery 
by the crusaders — Events at Berne — At the time of the black 
death— In Strasburg — In Spain and Portugal— France and Eng- 
land — Scripture fulfilled in their sufferings— Their extraordinary 
preservation as a distinct nation — Problem solved by the word 
of God — Prospects in the future— Our obligation to the Jews 197 

PART IV. 
BOOKS AND WRITERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

CHAPTER I. — THE EVANGELISTS — MATTHEW — MARK. 

Necessity of inspiration — The Saviour's promise — Different wri- 
ters — Proof of authenticity — Names of writers — St. Matthew — 
Birth — Business— Call by Christ— Qualifications for historian — 
Mission to Ethiopia and Parthia--Martyrdom— Distinguishing traits 
—Mark— Mother — Convert of Peter, and amanuensis — Authority 
of his Gospel — Residence at Egypt and Alexandria — Martyrdom — 
Style of his writings . 204 

CHAPTER II. — LUKE AND JOHN. 

Luke's native city — Education — Conversion — Connection with 
St. Paul — The books he wrote — Authority of these— Characteris- 
tics of his writings— St. John — His residence — Mother— Disciple 
of John the Baptist — Age — Disposition — Regard of our Saviour — 
Residence at Jerusalem — Ephesus — Persecution under Domitian 
— Banished to Patmos — The Revelation — His Gospel — Origin and 
call for it— Characteristics ..*.... 209 

CHAPTER in.— ACTS OF THE APOSTLES— ST. PAUL. 

Author — Theophilus — St. Luke — When written — Objects — 
Style and execution of the work — Evidence of the divine origin 
of the Christian religion — St. Paul— Names— Descent — Birth- 
place — Citizenship — Education — Removal to Jerusalem — Cha- 
racteristics — Trade — The persecutor— Conversion — His last days 
and martyrdom — Remarks upon his writings . . . 214 



10 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV.— ROMANS— CORINTHIANS— GALATIANS-— 
EPHESIANS. 
Paul's interest in the churches— Epistle to the Romans— Rea- 
son for its position — Establishment of church at Rome — Occasion 
of its being written — Its object — Date — M'Knight's remarks — Co- 
rinthians — Founding of church in Corinth — Difficulties — Informa- 
tion received at Ephesus from Corinth — Date — Occasion of se- 
cond letter— Object— Characteristics— Galatians — Establishment 
of church in Galatia — Judaizing teachers — Object of epistle — 
Ephesians— Establishment of church at Ephesus— Paul taking 
leave of this church — Time when this epistle was written— Occa- 
sion and object— Style . • . . . . . Page 223 

CHAPTER V. — PHILIPPIANS— COLOSSIANS — THESSALONIANS — 

TIMOTHY. 
Epistle to the Philippians — When written— Character — Home's 
remark—Occasion — Colossians — Similarity of this epistle to that 
to the Ephesians— Time of writing — Occasion — Thessalonians — 
Establishment of church — Composition of church — Occasion of 
first epistle — Of the second — General scope — Epistle to Timothy 
— Early history— Becomes companion of Paul— Character — Tim- 
othy at Ephesus — Date of first epistle — Occasion — Time of wri- 
ting second epistle— Object— Remarks upon it 231 

CHAPTER VI. — TITUS — PHILEMON — HEBREWS. 
Epistle to Titus — Early history — Journeys with St. Paul— Sent 
to Ephesus — At Crete — With St. Paul at Rome — Returns to 
Crete— Dies there — Time of writing this epistle— Object — Phi- 
lemon — History of him — Date of this letter— Remarks— Hebrews — 
Subject of controversy— Original language — Author — Time of its 
writing — To whom — Object — Dr. Hale's remarks . . 240 

CHAPTER VII. — ST. JAMES AND HIS EPISTLES. 
r James— Family — Apostleship — Residence — Office, and reason 
for it — Presided at council at Jerusalem— Martyrdom— Time of 
writing epistle— Design— Source of the errors calling it forth — 
Remarks upon it • 246 

CHAPTER VIII. — ST. PETER AND HIS EPISTLES. 
Peter — Names — Conversion — Intimacy with our Saviour — Re • 
sidence — Remarks upon Peter's answer to Christ's question as to 
his opinion of him — Error of Romanists — His character as exhi- 
bited by the evangelists — Peter's denial — Recovery — Character 
afterward— Final labors — Martyrdom — Epistles of Peter — To 
whom written— From whence— Time of first epistle— Design 
— The second, when written — Occasion and design . . 249 

CHAPTER IX.— JOHN— REVELATION— JUDE. 
Epistles of John— Name wanting — Time when written— First 
epistle— Character of it — Design — Second epistle — The matter of 
it— Third letter — To whom— Scope— Revelation — When written 
— Where — Occasion— Design — Daubez's remarks — Jude — Date 
of this epistle — Design 255 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



PART I. 

GENERAL VIEW OF THE BIBLE— BOOKS AND 
WRITERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 



CHAPTER L 

NAMES AND CHARACTER OF THE BIBLE. 

1. The sacred volume, to which all Chris- 
tians look as the rule and guide of their faith 
and practice, is known by various and signifi- 
cant titles. It is frequently styled the Scrip- 
tures, which means the writings ; and is thus 
called as being the most important of all writ- 
ings. It is also termed the sacred Scriptures, 
because the books composing it were written 
by persons divinely inspired, being " moved by 
the Holy Ghost." 

2. It is sometimes called the canonical Scrip- 
tures, both because it is the divine rule of faith 
and practice to those who receive it, and also 
to distinguish it from a collection of books by 
different authors sometimes published with the 
canonical Scriptures, and called apocryphal. 

3. The term canon, which is a Greek word, 
signifies, primarily, a measuring rod, a rule, and 
being first applied figuratively to the inspired 



12 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Scriptures, as being the measure or model of 
religious conduct and belief, it afterward came 
to signify merely a list, or catalogue. When 
the number and authenticity of the different 
books of the Bible were ascertained, lists or 
catalogues were made out, which were called 
the Scripture canon, or the measure and limit 
of the inspired books. 

4. The term apocryphal signifies hidden, con- 
cealed, and was given to the books that bear this 
title on account of their being of uncertain au- 
thority, and evidently not of divine origin. Some 
of them, however, particularly the two Books of 
Maccabees, are valuable as historical records, 
helping to fill up the space that elapsed between 
the closing up of the Old Testament canon and 
the coming of Christ, and are also serviceable 
as illustrations of Jewish manners and customs. 

5. The most common name by which it is 
known, however, is, The Bible, a term derived 
from the Greek word biblos, which signifies 
simply a book, but is applied to the writings of 
the inspired authors by way of eminence, as 
being the book of books, infinitely surpassing in 
importance and excellence all other productions 
of the human mind. 

6. " The Scriptures," says Bishop Home, 
" are the appointed means of enlightening the 
mind with true and saving knowledge. They 
show us what we were, what we are, and 
what we shall be ; they show us what God 
hath done for us, and what he expects us to do 
for him ; they show us the adversaries we have 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 13 

to encounter, and how to encounter them with 
success ; they show us the mercy and the jus- 
tice of God, the joys of heaven and the pains of 
hell. Thus will they give to the simple an 
understanding of such matters as philosophy 
for whole centuries sought in vain." 

7. By a wonderful and mysterious provi- 
dence, almighty God has preserved to us, liv- 
ing as we do so many years after the Scriptures 
were written — through all the changes, over- 
throws of nations and cities, institutions and 
governments — these precious and divine records 
pure and uncorrupted, and they have become 
now the groundwork of the religious faith of all 
the civilized nations of the earth. The Bible 
has been translated into nearly all the languages 
now spoken, and is being rapidly diffused among 
all people inhabiting our earth ; wherever it 
goes, carrying with it the same pure principles, 
and securing a greater amount of freedom, 
knowledge, and domestic and social happiness, 
than could have been secured by any human 
instruction or institution. 



CHAPTER II. 

DIVISIONS AND HISTORY OF THE BIBLE. 

1. The most common and simple division of 
the Scriptures is into the Old and New Tes- 
taments ; the former containing the revelations 
made to the Hebrews, (afterward styled Israel- 



14 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ites and Jews,) and the latter comprising the 
inspired writings of the apostles and evangelists. 

2. The term Testament, as applied to the 
Scriptures, is derived from 2 Cor. iii, 6, 14, and 
like passages, where the Greek terms signify- 
ing equally Old and New Covenant or Testament, 
but always, in the Scripture sense of the term, 
signifying rather a covenant, are translated in 
the ancient Latin versions by the term testa- 
ment. This being true, " there would be no 
impropriety in terming the two main portions of 
the Scriptures the Old and New Covenant ; im- 
plying thereby not two distinct and unrelated 
covenants, but merely the former and the latter 
dispensations of the one grand covenant of 
mercy, of which the prophet Jeremiah, (chap. 
xxxi, 3 1-34,) as expounded by the apostle, (Heb. 
viii, 6-13,) gives so ample a description." 

3. The Old Testament Scriptures are still 
further subdivided by the Jews into the Law, 
the Prophets, and the H agio graph a, or Holy 
Writings. To this division our Lord refers in 
Luke xxiv, 44 : " These are the words which I 
spake unto you while I was yet with you, that 
all things must be fulfilled which are written in 
the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the 
Psalms, concerning me ;" by the term Psalms 
being meant, not only the book now bearing the 
title, but all the sacred writings not included in 
the other divisions, and called the Hagiographa. 

4. In this division the Law embraced the 
five books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, 
which were originally written in one volume, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 15 

as are all the manuscripts of it to this day 
which are read in the synagogues. 

5. The Prophets were divided into the 
former and latter; the first class comprising 
the Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 
and 1 and 2 Kings ; the last two being each 
considered as one book. The latter Prophets 
embraced Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 
twelve minor prophets, (so called from the 
brevity of their books,) w T hich were reckoned 
as one book. 

6. The Hagiographa, or Holy Writings, con- 
sisted of the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of 
Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, 
Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehe- 
miah, reckoned as one, and the two Books of 
Chronicles, also reckoned as one. 

7. The division of the Bible into chapters 
and verses is of modern date. The division 
into chapters was made by Hugo, a Roman 
Catholic cardinal, in A. D. 1240. The Old 
Testament was separated into verses by a 
noted Jewish teacher, named Rabbi Mordecai 
Nathan, in 1445 ; the New Testament, by that 
noted printer of Paris, Robert Stephens, who 
lived in the sixteenth century. 

8. These divisions are of course arbitrary, and 
not inspired, and oftentimes interrupt and even 
change the sense of the Scripture relations, 
and should therefore not be regarded in seek- 
ing the true^meaning of the sacred record. But 
as it offers peculiar facilities for referring to 



16 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

different parts of the Scriptures, and in pre- 
paring Concordances, the benefits may be con- 
sidered as counterbalancing the evils. The 
Paragraph Bible, however, combines the favor- 
able features of this division, without its imper- 
fections ; for, like the New Testament of Mr. 
Wesley, the sacred writings are divided into 
paragraphs according to the sense, while, in the 
margin, the old division of chapter and verse is 
retained for reference. 

9. The commonly received opinion among 
both the Jews and Christians is, that all the 
books of the Old Testament were collected and 
arranged, and such additions as were necessary — 
such as the deaths of the writers, the more modern 
names of the places — were made, by Ezra, under 
the guidance of the divine Spirit ; with the ex- 
ception of his own writings, the Book of Nehe- 
miah, and Malachi, which were subsequently 
added by Simon the Just, who also made a few 
additions to the genealogies of the preceding 
books. 

10. The books of the New Testament were 
considered of divine authority, as soon as they 
were written, by the churches to whom they 
were directed. The time and labor necessary 
to multiply copies would prevent their rapid 
circulation, but before the death of the apostles 
they had undoubtedly become well known to 
most of the Christian churches, as St. Peter 
speaks of St. Paul's Epistles as if they had 
been extensively circulated. 

11. The first formal catalogue of the books 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 17 

of the New Testament, which is now extant, 
is that by Origen, who lived about one hundred 
years after the death of the apostle John, and 
whose extensive Biblical knowledge fully 
qualified him to form a correct judgment of the 
authority of these writings. 

12. His canon contains all the books now 
found in our copies of the New Testament, 
with the exception of James and Jude ; but this 
omission was unintentional, for in other parts 
of his writings they are acknowledged as a part 
of the sacred canon. Besides these he men- 
tions no other books, showing that in his day 
the canon of the New Testament was settled 
among the Christian churches. After his day, 
these catalogues were multiplied and confirmed 
by the most learned Bible students and critics 
of succeeding ages. 

13. Translations of the Scriptures were made 
at an early date into the Syriac, Greek, and 
Latin, (called the Vulgate edition,) and from 
these sources, and the Hebrew Scriptures, the 
modern versions have been made. The dis- 
covery of the art of printing in the fifteenth 
century greatly facilitated the circulation of the 
Scriptures. 

14. The first English version of the Bible 
was made in 1380, by Wiclif, but was never 
printed, through the opposition and persecution 
of the bishops, who feared to have the sacred 
Scriptures thus opened to the understandings 
of the unlearned in their own mother tongue. 

15. The first printed English Bible was 

2 



18 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

made by William Tyndale in 1526, and was 
printed either at Hamburgh or Antwerp. Myles 
Coverdale made and printed another translation 
of the entire Bible in 1535, and dedicated it to 
Henry VIII. 

16. Other versions followed until 1603, when 
King James I. determined upon a new, entire, 
and thorough translation of the Scriptures, as 
many objections were, with reason, made against 
the Bishops' Bible, so called, then in use. 

17. In pursuance of this resolution, the fol- 
lowing year the king gave orders that a new 
translation should be undertaken, and fifty-four 
men, pre-eminently distinguished for piety and 
learning, were appointed to execute this great 
work. Before it was commenced, seven of 
these persons dying, only forty-seven entered 
upon it. 

18. These were divided into six classes, and 
each individual translated every book allotted 
to his division. The whole division then met 
and agreed upon the renderings which they 
would adopt. Their part, thus finished, was 
sent to each of the other companies to be again 
examined ; and here the method was for one 
to read the translation aloud, while the others, 
holding each in his hand some other Bible, 
either in the original tongue or in some modern 
version, diligently compared what they heard 
with what was before their eyes, interrupting 
the reader by remarks whenever they deemed 
it necessary. In this way every precaution 
was taken to secure a faithful translation, as 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 19 

the whole Bible underwent at least six differ- 
ent revisions by the most learned men in the 
kingdom. 

19. The result of their labors was first pub- 
lished A. D. 1611. It has, subsequently, been 
frequently revised with great care, and many 
marginal additions made, but no changes at- 
tempted in the body of the work. It still re- 
mains not only the standard version, but, by the 
unanimous voice of the most competent judges, 
it is ranked among the very best translations of 
this or any other book in the world. In point 
of fidelity, perspicuity, simplicity, energy, and 
dignity, it doubtless stands unrivaled. It can- 
not indeed be considered immaculate ; but it 
may be doubted whether, taken as a whole, it 
could be surpassed by any translation which 
should now be attempted. 

20. A distinguished Biblical critic of the last 
century, (Dr. Geddes,) in a work written with 
the express design of impugning the established 
version, and stating the reasons which had in- 
duced him to undertake a new one, is still con- 
strained to acknowledge, that " if accuracy, 
fidelity, and the strictest attention to the letter 
of the text, be supposed to constitute the quali- 
ties of an excellent version, this, of all versions, 
must be accounted the most excellent. Every 
sentence, every word, every syllable, every let- 
ter and point seem to have been weighed with 
the nicest exactitude, and expressed, either in 
the text or margin, with the greatest precision. 
It was well remarked of it by Robertson, above 



20 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

a hundred years ago, that it may serve for a 
lexicon of the Hebrew language, as well as for 
a translation." 

21. Of our present English Bible the learned 
and critical Dr. Clarke remarks : " Those who 
have compared most of the European transla- 
tions with the original have not scrupled to say, 
that the English translation of the Bible, made 
under the direction of King James I., is the most 
accurate and faithful of the whole. Nor is this 
its only praise ; the translators have seized the 
very spirit and soul of the original, and ex- 
pressed this almost everywhere with pathos 
and energy. 

22. " Besides, our translators have not only 
made a standard translation, but they have made 
their translation the standard of our language; 
the English tongue, in their day, was not equal 
to such a work, ' but God enabled them to stand 
upon Mount Sinai,' to use the expression of a 
learned friend, ' and crane up their country's 
language to the dignity of the originals, so that 
after the lapse of two hundred years the Eng- 
lish Bible is, with very few exceptions, the 
standard of the purity and excellence of the 
English tongue. The original from which it 
was taken is, alone, superior to the Bible trans- 
lated by the authority of King James.' This 
is an opinion in which my heart, my judgment, 
and my conscience, coincide." 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 21 



CHAPTER III. 

PENTATEUCH. 

1. Moses is, without doubt, the author of the 
first five books of the Bible, called the Penta- 
teuch, from two Greek words, pente, five, and 
teuchos, volume. 

2. The Book of Genesis, which may be 
considered as an introduction to the rest of the 
Pentateuch, contains the history of 2,369 years, 
according to the common chronology. It com- 
mences with the creation of the world, and ends 
with the death of Joseph. It has received the 
name of Genesis because it describes the crea- 
tion of the world, the generation of man, and 
of all other creatures. 

3. The Book of Exodus (or of the departure, 
so called, as recounting the deliverance of Is- 
rael from Egypt) relates the tyranny of Pha- 
raoh, the bondage of the Israelites under him 
in Egypt, and their miraculous escape under 
Moses. It describes also the entrance of the 
Israelites into the wilderness of Sinai, the pro- 
mulgation of the law, and the building of the 
tabernacle. It comprehends a period of about 
one hundred and forty-five years. 

4. The Book of Leviticus has its name from 
its giving an account of the Jewish service and 
worship, the offices of the Levites, and the 
whole Levitical order. It embraces only the 
space of a month. 



22 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

5. The Book of Numbers relates several re- 
markable incidents in the passage of the Israel- 
ites through the wilderness. It has its denomi- 
nation from the numbering of the tribes by 
Moses, according to the command of God. It 
records the events of about thirty-eight years. 

6. The Book of Deuteronomy, which signi- 
fies a second law, contains a summary repetition 
of the moral, ceremonial, and judicial laws, which 
had been before delivered by Moses, accompa- 
nied by certain additions and explanations. It 
contains many admonitions, exhortations, and 
warnings addressed to the Israelites, with a 
view of inciting them to obedience. The pe- 
riod comprised in this book is, according to 
some, five lunar weeks, and according to others 
about two months. 

7. "The Book of Deuteronomy and the Epistle 
to the Hebrews contain the best comment on the 
nature, design, and use of the law : the former 
may be considered as an evangelical comment- 
ary on the four preceding books, in which the 
spiritual reference and signification of the dif- 
ferent parts of the law are given, and given in 
such a manner as none could give who had not 
a clear discovery of the glory which was to be 
revealed. It may be safely asserted that very 
few parts of the Old Testament scriptures can 
be read with greater profit by the genuine 
Christian than the Book of Deuteronomy." 

8. Moses derived his name from the circum- 
stances attending his infancy, being composed 
of two words signifying delivered from the water. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 23 

referring to his rescue from exposure in the ark 
of bulrushes by Pharaoh's daughter. 

9. The history of his education, life, labors, 
and death, are so fully given in the sacred 
record that a biographical sketch is unneces- 
sary. A divine Providence watches over his 
birth and infancy, and in the very palace of the 
king, who had commanded that every male He- 
brew child should be destroyed, in all the learn- 
ing of the Egyptians, he is educated, and by the 
superior advantages he there enjoys, as well as 
by his own remarkable strength of character, is 
prepared to become the liberator of his ignorant 
and enslaved people from Egyptian bondage. 

10. He left Egypt, with his nation, to journey 
toward Canaan in the eightieth year of his age, 
but did not enter the promised land on account 
of his sin, which consisted, as far as can be 
drawn from the concise accounts given of it, — 
1. In that he distrusted, or disbelieved, that 
water could be produced from the rock only by 
speaking to it, (Num. xx, 1-13; xxvii, 14,) 
which was a higher miracle than he had before 
performed at Rephidim. Exod. xvii, 6. 2. He 
unnecessarily smote the rock twice, thereby 
betraying an unwarrantable impatience. 3. He 
did not, at least in the phrase he used, ascribe 
the glory of the miracle wholly to God, but ra- 
ther to himself and his brother. " Must we fetch 
you water out of this rock ?" And he denomi- 
nated them " rebels" against his and his bro- 
ther's authority, which, although an implied act 
of rebellion against God, ought to have been 



24 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

stated, as on a former occasion, " Ye have been 
rebels against the Lord, from the day that I 
knew you." Deut. ix, 24. 

11. At the age of one hundred and twenty 
years he ended his labors. His faculties of 
mind and body were unimpaired. " His eye 
was not dim, nor his natural strength abated." 
Having delivered his final counsels, admoni- 
tions, and warnings ; and having bound them 
all, from the prince to the hewer of wood and 
drawer of water, in a covenant of perpetual 
obedience to almighty God — committing the 
law to the custody of the Levites, and appoint- 
ing Joshua as his successor — he poured forth 
his soul in a prophetic ode worthy of him who 
composed the hymn of triumph by the Red Sea, 
and one of the noblest compositions in the 
sacred volume. 

12. He then ascended the loftiest eminence 
in the vicinity, and from the summit of Mount 
Abarim, or Nebo, cast his eye over the land of 
promise. " Gazing on the magnificent prospect, 
beholding in prophetic anticipation his great and 
happy commonwealth, occupying its numerous 
towns and blooming fields, Moses breathed his 
last. The place of his burial was unknown, 
lest, perhaps, the impious gratitude of his fol- 
lowers might ascribe divine honors to his name, 
and assemble to worship at his sepulchre." 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 25 

CHAPTER IV. 

HISTORICAL BOOKS. 

1. Next to the Pentateuch come the his- 
torical writings, comprising the twelve books 
immediately succeeding those of Moses, from 
Joshua to Esther inclusive. The events re- 
corded in these books occupy a period of 
nearly one thousand years — commencing w r ith 
the death of Moses, and terminating with the 
great national reform effected by Nehemiah, 
after the return of the Jews from their captivity* 
in Babylon. 

2. It is impossible to determine with cer- 
tainty who are the authors of these books, or 
the exact time when they were written. It is 
evident, from their allusion to other volumes, 
that they were compiled from other authentic 
documents and histories, prepared by persons 
contemporary with the transactions they describe. 
Thus reference is made to the Book of Jasher, 
to the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and 
Judah, and to the Books of Gad, Nathan, and 
Iddo. 

3. Whoever these writers were, we may 
rest assured they prepared their compilations 
tinder the supervision of the Holy Spirit, or the 
Jews, who had already received inspired books 
from the hands of Moses, would not have ad- 
mitted them to the same authority, neither would 
our Lord and his inspired apostles have acknow- 



26 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ledged their inspiration. These books gene- 
rally bear the names of the persons who fill 
the largest space in their contents, as Joshua, 
Ruth, Samuel, &c. 

4. The Book of Joshua continues the his- 
tory of the Israelites as they leave the wil- 
derness, enter into Canaan, and secure its 
conquest. It comprises the history of about 
seventeen years, or, according to some chrono- 
logers, of twenty-seven, or thirty years. Many 
excellent critics believe the major portion of 
this book to have been written by Joshua, and 
that the death of that prophet, and other addi- 
tions and changes, were made at a later date by 
other hands. 

5. The Book of Judges has received its 
name from its recounting the history of the 
administration of the thirteen judges whom 
God raised up in succession, after the death 
of Joshua, at peculiar exigencies in the history 
of the Israelites, to deliver them from their 
enemies, and restore their affairs. 

6. The opinion of the Jews, and the one 
founded on the most correct authorities, is, that 
this book was written by Samuel, the last of the 
judges ; being compiled from the public, authen- 
tic records kept by each of the preceding 
judges. 

7. It comprises the history of about three 
hundred years, and consists of three parts. 
(1.) The history of the elders who ruled the Is- 
raelites after the death of Joshua, and the sub- 
sequent transactions to the commencement of 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 27 

their troubles. (2.) The history of the judges, 
from Othniel to Eli. (3.) The last division 
(chaps, xvii-xxi) narrates several memorable 
actions performed not long after the death of 
Joshua, and thrown in at the end of the book, 
that they might not interrupt the regular course 
of the narrative. 

8. The Book of Ruth is considered as a kind 
of appendix to that of the Judges, and an intro- 
duction to that of Samuel, and for that reason 
is placed between the two. It derives its 
name from Ruth, the Moabitess, whose history 
it relates. The most probable opinion ascribes 
the authorship of this book also to Samuel. 

9. It gives the genealogy of David, presents 
a most beautiful exhibition of moral loveliness 
in a young woman, unendowed with wealth or 
a high worldly reputation, but richly endowed 
by nature with qualities of heart and mind 
more to be preferred than gold, or the highest 
earthly reputation. It also exhibits the special 
care of a divine Providence over those who 
sincerely fear God, in thus raising the pious 
Ruth from a state of the deepest adversity to 
that of the highest prosperity. 

10. The two Books of Samuel. Of the 
authorship of these books the more prevalent, as 
well as more probable opinion, is that of the Jew- 
ish Talmudists, and most learned fathers of the 
Christian church, (who unquestionably had better 
means of ascertaining this point' than we have,) 
viz., that the first twenty-four chapters of the 
First Book of Samuel were written by the prophet 



28 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

whose name they bear ; and that the remainder 
of that book, together with the whole of the 
Second Book, was committed to writing by the 
prophets Gad and Nathan. 

1 1 . That all these three persons were writers 
is evident from 1 Chron. xxix, 29 ; where it is 
said : " Now the acts of David, first and last, 
behold they are written in the Book of Samuel 
the seer, and in the Book of Nathan the pro- 
phet, and of Gad the seer ;" and, in completing 
the canon of the Jewish Scriptures, Ezra might 
have collected the records of the three, and 
thrown them into one book, bearing the name of 
the principal prophet. 

12. The First Book of Samuel contains the 
history of the Israelites, from the birth of Samuel, 
through the administration of Eli, to the death 
of Saul, their first king — a period of nearly 
eighty years. The Second Book of Sa?nuel 
contains a history of David, the second king of 
Israel, and comprises a period of nearly forty 
years. 

13. The two Books of Kings continue the 
history from the close of that of Samuel, recount- 
ing the prosperity of the nation, and the glory of 
Solomon their king, the division of the kingdom 
under Rehoboam, the decline of Judah and Is- 
rael, and their final subjection ; the ten tribes 
being carried into Assyria, and Judah and Ben- 
jamin into Babylon. 

14. It is evident that two descriptions of 
writers were concerned in the composition of 
the Books of Kings : First, the original, primi- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 29 

tive, and contemporary authors, who wrote the 
annals and memoirs of their own times, from 
which the authors of the sacred history subse- 
quently derived their materials. These ancient 
memoirs have not descended to us ; but they 
unquestionably were in the hands of the sacred 
penmen, whose writings are in our possession, 
since they cite them, and refer to them. 

15. The second class of writers consist of 
those who, under the guidance of the Spirit, 
actually composed the Books of Kings in their 
present form. The Jews ascribe them to Jere- 
miah, others assign them to the prophet Isaiah; 
but the most probable opinion is, that they were 
digested into their present form and order by 
Ezra. 

16. The First Book of Kings embraces a 
period of one hundred and twenty-six years — 
from the anointing of Solomon to the death of 
Jehoshaphat, exhibiting both the glory and the 
shame of the Jewish nation. 

17. The Second Book of Kings continues 
the history of the two kingdoms of Israel and 
Judah to the destruction of the city and temple 
of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar — a period of 
three hundred years : a period marked by 
a continued succession of wicked kings, with 
the exception of a few pious princes on the 
throne of Judah, also by a large number of 
inspired prophets ; such as — Elijah, Elisha, 
Jonah, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, 
Nahum, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Daniel, Eze- 
kiel, &c. 



30 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

18. These books abound with lively and im- 
pressive narrations, delineating the long-suffer- 
ing of God toward his people, and his severe 
chastisements for their iniquitous abuse of his 
mercy ; at the same time they mark most clear- 
ly the veracity of God, both in his promises and 
in his threatenings, and show the utter vanity 
of trusting in the arm of flesh, and the insta- 
bility of human kingdoms, from which piety and 
justice are banished. 

19. The two Books of Chronicles were 
styled, by the Jews, The Words of Days, or 
Annals, probably from the circumstance of their 
being compiled out of diaries or annals, in 
which were recorded the various events re- 
lated in these books. Jerome, the author of the 
Latin version of the Bible, first gave to them 
the name they now bear, because they contain 
an abstract, in order of time, of the whole 
sacred history, to the time when they were 
written. 

20. Contrary opinions are held by different 
commentators as to the author of these books ; 
the Jews and Christian interpreters, however, 
in general, believe them to have been prepared 
by Ezra, assisted by the prophets Haggai, 
Zechariah, and Malachi. The principal design 
of these books is to exhibit with accuracy the 
genealogies, the rank, the functions, and the 
order of the priests and Levites, so that after 
the captivity they might more easily assume 
their proper place, and re-enter on their 
ministry. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 31 

21. These genealogies are also of great im- 
portance, as exhibiting the detail of the sacred 
line, through which the promise of the Messiah 
was transmitted ; so that, when in the fullness 
of time this promised Mediator was revealed 
in the flesh, the church and the people of 
God might infallibly know that this was that 
very promised seed of the woman, the son of 
Abraham, and the son of David. 

22. The Chronicles are an abridgment of 
all the sacred history, but more especially from 
the origin of the Jewish nation to the return 
from the first captivity. The First Book traces 
the rise and propagation of the people of Israel 
from Adam, and afterward gives a circumstantial 
account of the reign and transactions of David. 
In the Second Book the narrative is continued, 
and relates the progress and dissolution of the 
kingdom of Judah, to the very year of the return 
of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity. 
The period of time embraced in the Books of 
Chronicles in about 3468 years. 

23. The Book of Ezra contains a narrative 
of the return of the Jews from Babylon, under 
the conduct of Zerubbabel, and an account of the 
reformation of religion under Ezra, comprising 
a period of about seventy-nine, or, as some 
think, of one hundred years. It must be ob- 
served, that between the dedication of the tem- 
ple and the departure of Ezra, that is, between the 
sixth and seventh chapters, there was an inter- 
val of about fifty-eight years, during which 
nothing is here related concerning the Jews, 



32 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

except that, contrary to the command of God, 
they intermarried with the Gentiles. 

24. That the last four chapters of this book 
were written by Ezra himself there can be no 
doubt, as he particularly describes himself in 
the beginning of the seventh chapter, and like- 
wise frequently introduces himself in the sub- 
sequent chapters. The Jews, indeed, ascribe 
the whole of this book to Ezra, and their opinion 
is adopted by most Christian commentators. 
But as the writer of the first six chapters ap- 
pears (from chap, v, 4) to have been at Jerusa- 
lem in the reign of Darius Hystaspes, and it is 
evident, from the beginning of the seventh 
chapter, that Ezra did not go thither until the 
reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, (a distance of 
sixty years,) some persons have ascribed the 
first six chapters to a more ancient author. 

25. This, however, does not necessarily 
follow ; and we apprehend it will appear that 
these chapters were written by Ezra as well as 
the last four. In the first place, from the inti- 
mate connection of the sixth chapter with the 
seventh ; for the diversity of speech and narra- 
tion observable in them may readily be accounted 
for, by the circumstance of Ezra having copied 
from the authentic memoirs, which he found on 
his arrival at Jerusalem, of the transactions of 
the Jews, since their return from captivity. 
Secondly, the same method of narration pre- 
vails in both parts ; for, as in the second part, 
the royal decree is inserted entire, in the Chal- 
dee dialect, (chap, vii, 12, 26,) so, in the iirst 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 33 

part, in the edict of Cyrus, the Epistle of the 
Samaritans to the Pseudo-Smerdis, and his 
reply to them, together with a part of the fourth 
chapter, are also given in Chaldee. Lastly, 
it is not probable that so short and connected 
an historical compendium would be the work of 
more than one author, and it contains within 
itself no allusions to any joint labor in its 
preparation. 

26. Ezra, the son of Seraiah, was a priest and 
a scribe, or doctor of the law, of high repute 
among the captive Jews in Babylon, and en- 
joying the favor of the Persian king, Artaxerxes. 
From him he obtained a commission to go up 
with a company of his people to settle the polity 
of the Jews, and to rectify the disorders that 
had crept in among those at Jerusalem since 
their return from captivity. He held the chief 
authority there until the arrival of Nehe- 
miah. 

27. The great work of Ezra was the restora- 
tion and publication of the Scriptures after the 
captivity. He collected all the books of which 
the Holy Scriptures then consisted, disposed 
them in their proper order, corrected errors that 
had crept into the copies through the negli- 
gence of transcribers, made such additions as 
were necessary, (as the account of the death 
of Moses, <fec.,) altered the names of places 
which had become changed, and settled the 
canon of Scripture until his time. He wrote 
the whole out in the Chaldee character, as the 
ancient Hebrew had become nearly extinct in 

3 



34 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

their seventy years' residence among the Chal- 
deans. 

28. He is said to have lived nearly one hun- 
dred and twenty years. The Jews entertain 
an extraordinary esteem for him, and say if the 
law had not been given by Moses, Ezra de- 
served to have been the legislator of the He- 
brews. 

29. The Book of Nehemiah is, in some ver- 
sions of the Scriptures, styled the Second Book 
of Esdra or Esdras, from the opinion of some 
of the Christian fathers that Ezra wrote it. But 
there is no historical book in the Old Testa- 
ment of which the authorship is so distinctly 
announced. 

30. It commences with " The words of Ne- 
hemiah," and throughout we have Nehemiah 
speaking. The style is different from that of 
the preceding book, being more plain and easy. 
It contains an account of Nehemiah's first ad- 
ministration of the government in Jerusalem of 
twelve years ; after which he returned to the 
Persian court. His subsequent arrival at Je- 
rusalem with a new commission, and the fur- 
ther reforms secured by him, are noticed at the 
end. The space of time comprised in the his- 
tory is about twenty-four years. The register, 
contained in chap, xii, 1-26, was probably in- 
serted by another at a later date. 

31. Nehemiah was born at Babylon, during 
the captivity. He was raised to the office of 
cupbearer to Artaxerxes Longimanus, whose 
favor he enjoyed ; but in the magnificence of a 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 35 

court he did not forget his desolated country. 
Through the liberality of his royal master, he 
went up to Jerusalem with a great retinue, and 
a royal commission, providing him with means 
to repair the walls of Jerusalem and regulate its 
affairs. As his time was limited by the com- 
mission, he returned again to Babylon, and by 
a second permission proceeded again to Jeru- 
salem, where he died, B. C. 420. 

32. In Nehemiah we have the character of 
an able governor, truly zealous for the good of 
his country, and for the honor of his religion ; 
who quitted a noble and gainful post at a great 
court, generously spent the riches he had ac- 
quired for the benefit of his countrymen, and 
encountered difficulties with a courage and 
spirit which alone could, with the divine 
blessing, procure the safety and reform the 
manners of such an unhappy and thoughtless 
nation. 

33. The Book of Esther derives its name 
from the interesting person whose history it 
chiefly relates. The history it contains comes 
in between the sixth and seventh chapters of 
Ezra, and the book has been, and is still, held in 
peculiar estimation among the Jews, they plac- 
ing it on the same level with the law of Moses. 

34. Biblical critics are widely divided in 
opinion as to the author of this book ; some 
supposing it to be the work of Ezra, others of 
Mordecai and Esther, and still other names are 
mentioned : but this is of small importance, as 
the evidence of the divine authority of the book 



36 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

is as unquestionable as any in the sacred 
record. 

35. The omission of the name of God through- 
out this book has caused some to question its 
authenticity ; but this is accounted for from the 
fact, that this book is a translated extract from 
the memoirs of the reign of the Persian monarch 
Ahasuerus. 

36. The Asiatic sovereigns, it is well known, 
caused annals of their reigns to be kept : the 
Book of Esther itself attests that Ahasuerus had 
similar records. Esth. ii, 23 ; vi, 1 ; x, 2. It 
was highly important that the Jews should have 
a faithful narrative of their history under Queen 
Esther, and it is probable that either Ezra or 
Mordecai had authority or credit enough to ob- 
tain such an extract. In such a case, the re- 
taining of the Persian word Purim may be bet- 
ter accounted for, as well as the details con- 
cerning the empire of Ahasuerus, and for the 
exactness with which the names of his minis- 
ters, and of Haman's sons, are recorded. 

37. The circumstance of this history being 
an extract from the Persian annals will likewise 
account for the Jews being mentioned only in 
the third person, and why Esther is so fre- 
quently designated by the title of queen, and 
Mordecai by the epithet of " the Jew." It wilt 
also account for those numerous parentheses 
which interrupt the narrative, in order to sub- 
join the illustrations that were necessary for a 
Jewish reader ; and for the abrupt termination 
of the narrative by one sentence relative to the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 37 

power of Ahasuerus, and another concerning 
Mordecai's greatness. There is unquestionably 
no mention of divine Providence, or of the name 
of God, in these chronicles of Ahasuerus ; and 
if the author of the extract had given it a more 
Jewish complexion — if he had spoken of the 
God of Israel — instead of rendering his narra- 
tive more credible, he would have deprived it 
of an internal character of truth. 

38. The time taken up by the transactions 
recorded in this book are from eighteen to 
twenty years, during the reign of Artaxerxes 
Longimanus, who is supposed to be the Aha- 
suerus of the book, and who was contemporary 
with Ezra and Nehemiah. 

39. It was at this time, and commemorating 
the deliverance of the Jews from the bloody 
plot of Haman, as recorded in Esther, that the 
feast of Purim was established, which has been 
celebrated among the Jews in every age since 
until the present day. On this occasion the 
entire Book of Esther is read in the synagogues 
of the modern Jews, from a roll which contains 
this book alone. There is more feasting on the 
Purim than on any other festival in the year. 
The rabbins teach that when the Messiah 
comes all festivals will be abolished except that 
of Purim. 

40. The manner of celebrating the feast is 
as follows : — On the 13th day of Adar, at even, 
they go to the synagogue, where, after saying 
the usual prayers, the reader reads the whole 
book of Esther, and as often as he mentions 



38 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the name of Haman it is customary for the 
children, who have little wooden hammers, to 
knock against the wall, as a memorial that they 
should endeavor to destroy the whole seed of 
Amalek. After the Book of Esther has been 
read, they say some prayers and thanksgivings, 
which end the service. On the morning of the 
feast they go to the synagogue, and, after the 
usual prayers, they take forth the law, and 
read the portion which is from the eighth verse 
of the seventeenth chapter of Exodus to the 
end of the last verse of the same, and which is 
read by three persons, a Cohen, a Levite, and 
an Israelite. After the portion has been read, 
they put the law into the ark again, and the 
reader reads the Book of Esther in like man- 
ner as the evening before ; because the reading 
of Esther is considered as equivalent to the 
reading of the law. The rest of the day is 
spent in feasting and rejoicing, and sending 
presents to each other, and giving liberally to 
the poor. They keep open houses — poor and 
rich, young and old, all have free access to 
come and enjoy themselves ; and many of them, 
both male and female, dress themselves in all 
kinds of gaudy dresses, and go from house to 
house ; and formerly they acted a play. The 
rabbins say, on the day of Purim a man may 
enjoy himself on this wise, that he may drink 
just as much, and no more, as will leave him 
able to know the difference between gold and 
silver, wood and stone. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 39 

CHAPTER V. 

POETICAL BOOKS. 

1. The poetical books are five in number, 
viz., Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and 
the Canticles, or Song of Solomon : in the 
Jewish canon they are classed among the Ha- 
giography, or Holy Writings, and in our Bibles 
are placed between the historical and prophet- 
ical books. 

2. Job. This book derives its name from 
the venerable patriarch whose prosperity, afflic- 
tions, and restoration from adversity, are here 
recorded, and whose extrordinary patience and 
confidence in God are beautifully set forth in 
this interesting book. 

3. No book in the Bible has excited more 
discussion, and been the subject of more, and 
contrary, opinions, than that of Job. Some 
have esteemed it but a sacred fable, or parable, 
to illustrate important truth ; others, with better 
reason, a relation of facts : some have contend- 
ed that, while the facts were true, Job was an 
imaginary name, or a fictitious personage ; 
others have shown with great clearness that he 
must have been a real personage. Again, some 
believe the book to have been of a compara- 
tively modern date, and others believe it was 
written before the Pentateuch, or by Moses 
himself. 

4. Some of the principal reasons of our be- 



40 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

lief that such a person as Job lived and suffered 
as described in this book, are, (as presented by- 
Mr. Barnes,) — (1.) The fact of his existence is 
expressly declared, and the narrative has all the 
appearance of being a simple record of an actual 
occurrence. The first two chapters of the book, 
and a part of the last chapter, are simple his- 
torical records. The remainder of the book is 
indeed poetic, but these portions have none of 
the characteristics of poetry. There are not to 
be found in the Bible more simple and plain 
historical statements than these. 

5. (2.) The account of the existence of such 
a man is regarded as historically true by the 
inspired writers of the Scriptures. Thus, in 
Ezekiel xiv, 14, God says, " Though these 
three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, 
(the land,) they should deliver but their own 
souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord." 

6. (3.) The specifications of places and names 
in the book are not such as would occur in an 
allegory. Then Job's name and residence, the 
names of his friends and their residences, as, 
"Eliphaz, the Temanite," " Bildad, the Shu- 
hite," and " Zophar, the Naamathite," &c, are 
specifically stated. All this gives convincing- 
evidence of a real event, and real personages. 

7. (4.) And finally, the concurrent testimony 
of all eastern tradition proves Job to have been 
an actual personage. 

8. His residence in the land of Uz has been 
also a matter of dispute and varying opinions. 
The most probable opinion, however, is, that it 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 41 

was in the northern part of Arabia, between 
Palestine and Assyria. 

9. As to the time when Job lived, the opin- 
ion having the best support is, that it was some 
time between the age of Terah, the father of 
Abraham, and that of Jacob. Some of the 
grounds of this opinion are : 

(1.) His long life, like that of the earlier pa- 
triarchs. 

(2.) The uniform assertions of tradition in re- 
ference to his great antiquity. 

(3.) The fact that the bondage in Egypt, the 
escape of the Israelites, and their journey to Ca- 
naan, together with their institutions, civil and 
religious, established in the wilderness, are not 
once alluded to. 

(4.) The religion and religious exercises of 
Job are those of Abraham. It is a religion of 
sacrifices, without a priest ; the head of the 
family, in behalf of his children and friends, 
performing the rite. And this was the religion 
and worship of the patriarchs until the giving 
of the law from Sinai. These reasons seem to 
settle the time when Job lived. 

10. It is not improbable that Job himself 
was the original writer of the book, although it 
may have been arranged and received slight 
additions at the hand of Moses. If he was the 
author, being an Arabian, the foreign cast and 
character of the book will be accounted for, the 
use of Arabic words, now unknown in the He- 
brew, the allusions to the nomadic habits of the 
times, to the modes of living, to the sandy plains 



42 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and deserts, to customs of worship ; and the 
absence of allusion to the departure of the Jews 
from Egypt — all these will be fully accounted 
for. 

11. It may have descended to the days of 
Moses in the form of tradition, and while dwell- 
ing in Arabia, Moses may have gathered it up, 
and, by the divine direction, written it out as an 
inspired volume ; or if it had been preserved by 
any records, he may have rewritten them, and 
introduced the peculiarly interesting and in- 
structive history to his own nation. It contains 
the history of a man equally distinguished for 
purity and uprightness of character, and for 
honor, wealth, and domestic felicity, whom God 
had permitted, for the trial of his faith, to be 
suddenly deprived of all his numerous bless- 
ings, and to be at once plunged into the deep- 
est afflictions, and most accumulated distress, 
his trials being unspeakably aggravated by the 
false judgments of his three friends. It gives 
an account of his eminent piety, patience, and 
resignation, under the pressure of these severe 
calamities, of their humbling and purifying ef- 
fects upon him, and of his subsequent elevation 
to a degree of prosperity and happiness greater 
than that which he had before enjoyed. 

12. Through the whole work we discover 
religious instruction shining forth amidst the 
venerable simplicity of ancient manners. It 
everywhere abounds with the noblest sentiments 
of piety, uttered with the spirit of inspired con- 
viction. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 43 

13. The Book of Job is full of caution and 
encouragement to the tempted and afflicted, and 
of warning to those who hastily judge their 
brethren. It throws great light upon the doc- 
trine of providence, and upon the agency of evil 
spirits under the control of God. In short, it is 
a work unrivaled for the magnificence of its 
language, and for the beautiful and sublime 
images which it presents. 

14. The Book of Psalms is entitled, in 
the Hebrew, the Booh of Hymns, or Praises ; 
because the greater part of them are effusions 
of grateful praise to God, while the rest are the 
outpourings of penitential grief in regular mea- 
sures. The right of the Psalms to their place 
in the sacred canon has never been disputed ; 
they are alluded to in other books of the Old 
Testament, and often cited by our Lord and 
his apostles. They are called the Psalms of 
David because he was the writer of the largest 
portion of them ; among the other authors are 
reckoned by the Jews, Moses, Solomon, Asaph, 
Heman, Ethan, Jeduthun, and the three sons 
of Korah. The whole was probably arranged 
in its present form by Ezra. 

15. The earliest composer of sacred hymns 
was, unquestionably, Moses ; the next who are 
mentioned in the Scriptures are Deborah and 
Hannah ; but it was David, himself an admira- 
ble composer and performer in music, who gave 
a regular and noble form to the musical part 
of the Jewish service, and carried divine poetry 
and psalmody to perfection ; and therefore he 



44 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

is called the sweet Psalmist of Israel. 2 Sam. 
xxiii, 1. 

16. He, doubtless by divine authority, ap- 
pointed the singing of psalms, by a select com- 
pany of skillful persons, in the service of the 
tabernacle, which Solomon continued in the 
first temple, and it was re-established by Ezra 
as soon as the foundation of the second temple 
was laid. Hence the Jews became well ac- 
quainted with these songs of Zion ; and having 
committed them to memory, were celebrated 
for their melodious singing among the neighbor- 
ing nations. 

17. The continuance of this branch of di- 
vine worship is confirmed by the practice of 
our Lord, and the instructions of St. Paul, Matt, 
xxvi, 30 ; Mark xiv, 26 ; Eph. v, 19 ; Col. iii, 
16 ; and the practice has continued through all 
ages until the present time, not more to the de- 
light than to the edification of the church of 
Christ. There are at this time very few pro- 
fessing Christians who do not adopt these sa- 
cred hymns in their public and private devo- 
tions, either by reading them, composing them 
as anthems, or singing poetical translations or 
imitations of them. 

18. In this particular there ever has existed, 
and there still exists, a wonderful communion 
of saints. The language in which Moses, and 
David, and Solomon, and Asaph, Heman, and 
Jeduthun, worshiped God, is applicable to Chris- 
tian believers. They worship the same God, 
through tho same adorable Redeemer; they 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 45 

give thanks for similar mercies, and mourn un- 
der similar trials ; they are looking for the same 
blessed hope of their calling, even everlasting 
life and salvation, through the prevailing inter- 
cession of the Messiah. The ancient believers 
indeed worshiped him as about to appear ; we 
adore him as having actually appeared, and put 
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. They 
saw as through a glass darkly, we face to face. 

19. Athanasius styles the Psalms "an epit- 
ome of the whole Scriptures ;" Basil, " a com- 
pendium of all theology ;" Luther terms them 
" a little Bible," and " the summary of the Old 
Testament ;" and Melancthon called them " the 
most elegant writing in the whole world." 

20. The Book of Psalms may be justly es- 
teemed a general library, in which we may 
meet with whatever is requisite for salvation. 
The moral of life, the mystery of redeeming 
grace, the display of almighty power and al- 
mighty love, the spiritual history of the world, 
the passage of Jehovah through the wonders of 
his creation ; all that can alarm the wicked, 
revive the penitent, console the afflicted, and 
confirm the faithful, is to be found in the Book 
of the Psalms. 

21. The Book of Proverbs is universally 
attributed to Solomon, although their arrange- 
ment in the present form was undoubtedly the 
work of another hand. Solomon is said to 
have spoken no less than three thousand pro- 
verbs, 1 Kings iv, 32 ; but is nowhere said to 
have written or made a collection of them, and 



46 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the common opinion is, that several persons 
made a collection of them, perhaps as they 
were uttered by him. Hezekiah, among others, 
as mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter ; Agur, 
Isaiah, and Ezra, might have done the same. 
The Jewish writers affirm that Solomon wrote 
the Canticles, or Song bearing his name, in his 
youth, the Proverbs in his riper years, and Ec- 
clesiastes in his old age. 

22. The scope of this book is to instruct 
men into the deepest mysteries of true wisdom 
and understanding, the height and perfection of 
which are the true knowledge of the divine will 
and the sincere fear of the Lord. To this end 
the book is filled with the choicest sententious 
aphorisms, infinitely surpassing all the ethical 
sayings of the ancient sages, and comprising 
in themselves distinct doctrines, duties, &c, 
of piety toward God, of equity and benevo- 
lence toward man, and of sobriety and tem- 
perance ; together with precepts for the right 
education of children, and for the relative situ- 
ations of subjects, magistrates, and sovereigns. 

23. The Book of Ecclesiastes. The 
name by w T hich this book is known is a Greek 
word, signifying a preacher, or one who ha- 
rangues a public congregation. Although it 
does not bear the name of Solomon, yet it is 
evident, from several passages, that it was 
penned by him. Compare chap, i, 12, 16 ; ii, 
4-9 ; xii, 9, 10. 

24. The beautiful descriptions which this 
book contains of phenomena in the natural 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 47 

world, and their causes, and of the economy of 
the human frame, all show it to be the work 
of a philosopher. It is generally supposed to 
have been written by Solomon in his old age, 
after he had repented of his sinful practices, 
and when having seen and observed much, as 
well as having enjoyed everything that he could 
wish, he was fully convinced of the vanity of 
everything except piety toward God. 

25. The tendency of the book is excellent, 
and Solomon speaks in it with great clearness 
of the revealed truths of a future life, and of a 
future judgment. The scope of the work is an 
inquiry into the chief good, or highest happiness, 
of man. 

26. The plan of the work is to show first 
in what happiness does not consist, and then in 
what it does. In the former part of the book, 
Solomon shows by his own experience the 
vanity of all earthly objects and pursuits — of 
knowledge, of pleasure, riches, magnificence, 
power, and wealth ; interspersing the argument 
with counsels, and frequent intimations that true 
wisdom (religion) is preferable to all other ac- 
quisitions, and that a cheerful use of providen- 
tial blessings is better than covetousness. 

27. In the latter part he shows that true 
happiness is only to be found in a religious and 
virtuous life, incidentally still alluding to the 
vanity of the earthly things mentioned ; but 
chiefly inculcating a cheerful, liberal, and 
charitable use of temporal blessings, without 
expecting to derive from them any permanent or 



48 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

satisfactory delight ; teaching the propriety of 
patience under unavoidable evils, and to avoid 
aiming at perilous, arduous, and impracticable 
changes ; to fill up the station allotted us in a 
peaceable, equitable, and prudent manner ; to 
be humble, contented, affectionate ; and to do 
good abundantly, persevering in doing so for 
the pleasure arising from it, and from the ex- 
pectation of a gracious reward. 

28. The Song of Solomon is universally 
attributed to the royal author whose name it 
bears, and there is not a book in the sacred 
canon whose authenticity and claim to a place 
in that canon can be better proved than this, al- 
though many rash critics have doubted the pro- 
priety of its position among the sacred books. 

29. In this book the royal author appears, in 
the typical spirit of his time, to have designed 
to render a ceremonial appointment descriptive 
of a spiritural concern. Bishop Lowth judi- 
ciously considers that the Song is a mystical 
allegory ; of that sort which induces a more 
sublime sense on historical truths, and which, 
by the description of human events, shadows 
out divine circumstances. 

30. The sacred writers were by God's conde- 
scension authorized to illustrate his strict and 
intimate relation to the church by the figure of 
a marriage ; and the emblem must have been 
strikingly becoming, and expressive to the con- 
ception of the Jews, since they annexed notions 
of peculiar mystery to this appointment, and 
imagined that the marriage union was a counter- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 49 

part representation of some original pattern in 
heaven. It is unquestionable that this beautiful 
composition had a predictive as well as figura- 
tive character. The whole of it is a thin veil 
of allegory thrown over a spiritual alliance ; 
and we discover everywhere through the trans- 
parent types of Solomon and his bride, the 
characters of Christ and his personified church, 
portrayed with those graces and embellishments 
which are most engaging to the human eye. 
It requires, however, to be explained with 
great caution ; and some fanciful expositors, 
by their minute dissection of the allegory, 
have exposed it to the unmerited ridicule of 
profane minds. But the grand outlines, when 
soberly interpreted, in the obvious meaning of 
the allegory, will be found to accord with the 
affections and experience of every sincere 
Christian, and the tendency of the whole must 
be to purify the mind and elevate the affections 
from earthly to heavenly things. 



CHAPTER VI. 

PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 

1 . Next to the poetical comes the prophetical 
Scriptures, in the present arrangement of the 
inspired canon. They have received this name 
because they consist chiefly of predictions of 
future events, although many passages, which 

4 



50 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

relate to other subjects — such as the nature and 
attributes of God, the religious and moral duties 
of man, reproofs and exhortations — are found 
interspersed with their predictions. We shall 
present a short sketch of these, together with 
their authors, in their chronological order. 

2. The Book of Jonah. Jonah, the son 
of Amittai, was a native of Gath-hepher, a 
town of Zebulon, in the kingdom of Israel, 
and in after times a part of Galilee. He is 
generally considered as the most ancient of the 
prophets, and is supposed to have lived B. C 
856-764. 

3. Bishop Lloyd supposes that he prophesied 
to the ten tribes toward the close of the reign of 
Jehu, or in the beginning of that of Jehoahaz, 
while others place him under Jeroboam II., 
about forty years later. He is generally sup- 
posed to have written the book which bears 
his name, but very little of his personal history 
is known except what is there stated. 

4. The circumstance of Jonah being in 
the belly of a whale, though more than once 
alluded to by our Lord, (and whose affirmation 
must be a sufficient guaranty for the truth of the 
fact, however extraordinary,) has been affirmed 
by infidel writers to be contrary to matter of fact, 
as the throat of a whale, it is said, is capable of 
admitting little more than the arm of a man, 
and these fish are never found in the Mediter- 
ranean. 

5. But the Hebrew text does not determine 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 51 

the species of the fish ; it simply says that 
Jonah was swallowed by a " great fish," which 
may probably refer to a large species of shark. 
The word rendered " whale," in our version, is 
a generic term for any large sea animal, or 
monster. 

6. That large sharks are met with in the 
Mediterranean is a well-known fact. The 
naturalist, Muller, relates that, in 1759, a sailor 
fell into the sea, near Jaffa, and disappeared 
immediately in the gullet of a great shark ; but 
the monster having received at the same mo- 
ment a musket shot, cast up the sailor whom 
he had swallowed, and the man escaped with 
some slight wounds. This shark, which they 
at length secured, was ten cubits in length, and 
four in circumference. 

7. The style of Jonah is simple and perspi- 
cuous, and his prayer in the second chapter is 
strongly descriptive of the feelings of a pious 
mind under a severe trial of faith. The scope 
of the book is to show, by the very striking ex- 
ample of the Ninevites, the divine forbearance 
and long-suffering toward sinners who were 
spared on their sincere repentance. 

8. The Book of Amos. Amos is supposed 
to have been a native, and in his youth a herds- 
man, of Tekoa, a small town about four leagues 
southward of Jerusalem. Amos was called to 
the prophetic office in the time of Uzziah, king 
of Judah, and Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king 
of Israel, B. C. 810-785. 



52 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

9. The burden of his prophecy is to assure 
the twelve tribes of the destruction of the neigh- 
boring nations with whom they were solicitous 
of alliances, to alarm those who " were at ease 
in Zion," living in a state of carnal security, by 
the denunciation of imminent punishment, to lead 
them to repentance ; and to cheer the penitent 
with the promise of deliverance from captivity, 
and of the greater prosperity of the Messiah's 
kingdom. 

10. Some have styled Amos "rude in 
speech ;" but Bishop Lowth thus remarks of 
him : " Let any person who has candor and 
perspicuity enough to judge, not from the man, 
but from his writings, open the volume of his 
predictions, and he will, I think, agree that our 
shepherd is not a whit behind the very chief of 
the prophets. He will agree, that as in sublim- 
ity and magnificence he is almost equal to the 
greatest; so in splendor of diction, and elegance 
of expression, he is scarcely inferior to any. 
The same celestial Spirit, indeed, actuated 
Isaiah and David in the court, and Amos in the 
sheepfolds ; constantly selecting such interpret- 
ers of the divine will as were adapted to the 
occasion, and sometimes ' from the mouth of 
babes and sucklings perfecting praise ;' con- 
stantly employing the natural eloquence of some, 
and occasionally making others eloquent." 
Many of the most elegant images employed 
by Amos are drawn from objects in rural life, 
with which he was from his avocations most 
familiarly acquainted, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 53 

11. Book of Hosea. Hosea, the son 
of Beeri, is generally supposed to have begun 
to prophesy about 800 B. C, during the reign 
of Jeroboam II., king of Israel, and to have exe- 
cuted his office during the reigns of Uzziah, 
Jotham, and Ahaz, and to have died in the 
third year of Hezekiah, king of Judah. 

12. It is most probable that he was an Is- 
raelite, and lived in the kingdom of Samaria, or 
of the ten tribes, as his predictions are generally 
directed against their wickedness and idolatry. 
Bishop Horsley says of him : " He seems, in- 
deed, of all the prophets, if I may so express 
my conception of his peculiar character, to 
have been most of a Jew. Comparatively, he 
seems to care little about other people. 

13. "He wanders not like Isaiah, Jeremiah, 
and Ezekiel, into the collateral history of the 
surrounding heathen. He meddles not like 
Daniel with the revolutious of the great em- 
pires of the world. His own country seems to 
engross his whole attention — her privileges, 
her crimes, her punishments, her pardon. His 
country and his kindred is the subject next to 
his heart. Their crimes excite his indigna- 
tion ; their sufferings interest his pity ; their 
future exaltation is the object on which his 
imagination fixes with delight." 

14. Of his style the same judicious critic re- 
marks : " He delights in a style which always 
becomes obscure when the language of the 
writer ceases to be a living language. He is 
more laconic than any other of the prophets . 



54 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

He writes in short, detached, disjointed sen- 
tences ; not wrought up into periods, in which 
the connection of one clause with another, and 
their relations to each other, are made manifest 
to the reader by an artificial collocation, and 
by those connective particles that make one 
discourse of parts, which otherwise appear as 
a string of unconnected propositions, which it is 
left to the reader's discernment to unite. His 
transitions from reproof to persuasion, from 
threatening to promise, from terror to hope, and 
the contrary, are rapid and unexpected. His 
similes are brief, accumulated, and often intro- 
duced without the particle of similitude. Yet 
these are not the vices, but the perfections, of 
the holy prophet's style ; for to these circum- 
stances it owes that eagerness and fiery anima- 
tion which are the characteristic excellence of 
his writings, and are so peculiarly suited to his 
subject." 

15. Book of Isaiah. Although the fifth 
prophet in the order of time, still, with the ut- 
most propriety, Isaiah has been placed first in 
the order of the prophets in our Bible, on ac- 
count of the surpassing importance and sub- 
limity of his predictions, as also from the length 
of his book, being of greater bulk than the pro- 
phecies of the twelve minor prophets taken to- 
gether. 

16. We know with certainty concerning this 
exalted writer, only what is stated in his own 
book, — that he was the son of Amoz, (not the 
prophet,) and discharged the prophetic office m 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 55 

the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Heze- 
kiah, kings of Judah, who flourished success- 
ively between B. C. 810-698. 

17. The Jews have a tradition that he was 
the son of Joash king of Judah, and conse- 
quently brother of Uzziah, thus making Isaiah 
one of the royal race of the house of David. 
They have also a tradition that he lived until 
the reign of Manasseh, by which cruel king 
they affirm that he was sawn asunder : but 
there is no Scriptural foundation for this ; and 
the extreme old age, and long exercise of the 
prophetic office, that this would make necessary, 
render this tradition almost impossible. It is the 
opinion of one of the most celebrated Jewish 
writers, Aben-Ezra, that he died about the fif- 
teenth year of Hezekiah's reign. 

18. The name of Isaiah is descriptive of his 
high character, since it signifies the " salvation 
of Jehovah," and was given with great pro- 
priety to him who foretold the advent of the 
Messiah, through " whom all flesh shall see the 
salvation of God." 

19. The peculiar sublimity, both in matter 
and style, has attracted the admiring attention 
of both Jew and Christian to the glorious pro- 
phecies of this book. It is more frequently 
quoted in the New Testament than any other 
of the sacred books, the Psalms only excepted. 
The distinct manner in which the inspired wri- 
ter speaks of the birth and sufferings of Christ, 
and the glories of his kingdom, has ever ren- 
dered it eminently instrumental in the convic- 



56 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

tion of the unbelieving, in confirming the doubt- 
ful, and in strengthening the faint-hearted. 

20. The force and magnificence of Isaiah's 
style have, in all ages, been highly appreciated. 
Jerome felt and expressed the difficulty of pre- 
serving its energy in a translation ; and yet it 
does so happen that even when weakened by 
translation, so much of its native strength and 
effulgence does still remain, as to arrest the at- 
tention of the general reader, as to something 
uncommon. 

21. Says Bishop Lowth: "Isaiah, the first 
of the prophets both in order and dignity, 
abounds in such transcendent excellences, that 
he may probably be said to furnish the most 
perfect model of prophetic poetry. He is at 
once elegant and sublime, forcible and orna- 
mental ; he unites energy with copiousness, 
and dignity with variety. In his sentiments 
there is uncommon elevation and majesty ; in 
his imagery the utmost propriety, elegance, 
dignity, and diversity ; and notwithstanding the 
obscurity of his subjects, a surpassing degree 
of clearness and simplicity. To these we may 
add, there is such sweetness in the composi- 
tion of his sentences, that if the Hebrew lan- 
guage is at present possessed of any remains 
of its native grace and harmony, we shall chiefly 
find them in the writings of Isaiah." 

22. Jerome, not contented to style him a 
prophet only, calls him also an evangelist, ob- 
serving, so distinct are his predictions of Christ 
and his kingdom, that he seems rather to speak 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 57 

of things past than of things to come. He calls 
him also an apostle ; and, on the same grounds, 
" the evangelical prophet " is the distinction 
which is now generally associated with his 
name. 



CHAPTER VII. 

PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 

1. Book of Joel. All that is certainly 
known of Joel is what is found in the title of 
his book, — that he was the son of Pethuel. 
Tradition states that he was of the tribe of 
Reuben, and a native of the town of Bethoron, 
a town situated on the confines of the territories 
of Judah and Benjamin. It is equally uncer- 
tain under what sovereigns he flourished. 

2. The opinion of modern commentators is, 
that he delivered his predictions during the 
reign of Uzziah ; and that, consequently, he 
was contemporary with Amos and Hosea, if 
indeed he did not prophesy before Amos, 
B. C. 810-660, or later. 

3. The prophecies of Joel are confined to 
the kingdom of Judah. He inveighs against 
the sins and impieties of the people, and threat- 
ens them with divine vengeance ; he exhorts to 
repentance, fasting, and prayer ; and promises 
the favor of God to those who should be obe- 
dient. The principal predictions contained in 
this book are the Chaldean invasion, under the 



58 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

figurative representation of locusts, the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem by Titus, the blessings of the 
gospel dispensation, the conversion and resto- 
ration of the Jews to their own land ; and the 
glorious state of the Christian church in the 
end of the world. 

4. The style of Joel, though different from 
that of Hosea, is highly poetical. In the first 
two chapters he displays the full force of the 
prophetic poetry ; and his description of the 
plague of locusts, of the deep national repent- 
ance, and of the happy state of the Christian 
church in the last times of the gospel, are 
wrought with admirable force and beauty. 

5. Book of Micah. This prophet was a 
native of Morasthi, a small town in the southern 
part of the territory of Judah. He prophesied 
in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, 
and was contemporary with Isaiah, Joel, Hosea, 
and Amos, B. C. 758-699. The period and 
circumstances of his death are unknown. 

6. In his prophecy the birth of the Messiah 
at Bethlehem is expressly foretold, and the Jews 
are directed to look to the establishment and 
extent of his kingdom as an unfailing source 
of comfort amid general distress. 

7. The prophecy of Micah, contained in the 
fifth chapter, is, perhaps, the most important 
single prophecy in the Old Testament, and the 
most comprehensive respecting the personal 
character of the Messiah, and his successive 
manifestations to the world. It crowns the 
whole chain of predictions respecting the seve- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 59 

ral limitations of the promised seed to the line 
of Shem, to the family of Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob ; and to the royal house of David, termi- 
nating in his birth at Bethlehem, " the city of 
David." It carefully distinguishes his human 
nativity and his divine nature, and eternal exist- 
ence ; foretells the casting off of the Jews 
for a season ; their ultimate restoration ; and 
the universal peace which should prevail in 
the kingdom and under the government of the 
Messiah. 

8. This prophecy therefore forms the basis 
of the New Testament revelation, which com- 
mences with the birth of the Messiah at Beth- 
lehem, the miraculous circumstances of which 
are recorded by St. Matthew and St. Luke in 
the introduction to their respective histories ; 
the eternal substance of Christ as " the Word," 
in the sublime introduction of St. John's Gospel; 
his prophetic character and second coming, il- 
lustrated in the four Gospels and in the apostolic 
Epistles. 

9. Bishop Lowth remarks, of the style of 
Micah, that " for the most part it is clear, forci- 
ble, pointed, and concise ; sometimes approach- 
ing the obscurity of Hosea ; in many parts 
animated and sublime, and in general poetical." 

10. The Book of Nahum. Nahum is sup- 
posed to have been a native of Elkosh, or Elkosha, 
a village of Galilee. There is much uncertainty 
concerning the precise time when he lived, but 
the most probable opinion is that which places 
him between the Assyrian and Babylonian cap- 



60 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

tivities, about the year 715 before the Christian 
era. 

11. He denounces ruin upon Nineveh and 
the Assyrians for their cruel tyranny over the 
Israelites, whom Shalmanezer had carried into 
captivity. 

12. The prophecy is one entire poem, open- 
ing with a sublime description of the justice 
and power of God, tempered by long-suffering 
and goodness ; and then foretelling the destruc- 
tion of Sennacherib's forces, and the subversion 
of the Assyrian empire, together with the de- 
liverance of Hezekiah and the death of Senna- 
cherib. The destruction of Nineveh is pre- 
dicted, and described with singular minuteness. 

13. Bishop Lowth thus characterizes the 
style of Nahum : " Of all the minor prophets 
none seems to equal Nahum in sublimity, ardor, 
and boldness. His language is pure ; and the 
exordium of his prophecy, which forms a regu- 
lar and perfect poem, is not merely magnificent, 
it is truly majestic. The preparation for the 
destruction of Nineveh, and the description of 
its downfall and desolation, are expressed in 
the most vivid colors, and with images that are 
truly pathetic and sublime." 

14. The Book of Zephaniah. This pro- 
phet gives his ancestors for the four preceding 
generations, and little else is certainly known 
of him. We learn from his prophecy that he 
delivered his predictions in the reign of Josiah, 
and consequently he prophesied about the time 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 61 

that Jeremiah entered on his prophetic office, 
B. C. 640-609, and in method and substance he 
greatly resembles him. 

15. The style of Zephaniah is poetical, but 
not characterized by any striking or uncommon 
beauties. 

16. The Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 
was of the sacerdotal race, being one of the 
priests resident in Anathoth, a city of the tribe 
of Benjamin, not far from Jerusalem, and appro- 
priated out of that tribe to the use of the priests. 
Josh, xxi, 18. 

17. As the priest his father was named Hil- 
kiah, some have supposed that he was the same 
as the high priest of that name who found the 
Book of the Law in the temple, in the time of 
Josiah ; but the similarity in the name is the 
only foundation for this opinion. 

18. Jeremiah appears to have been very 
young when he was called to the exercise of 
the prophetical office, from which he modestly 
endeavored to excuse himself by pleading his 
youth and incapacity ; but, being overruled by 
divine authority, he set himself to discharge the 
duties of his function with unremitted diligence 
and fidelity, during a period of at least forty- 
two years, reckoning from the thirteenth year of 
Josiah's reign. The prophet lived to see that 
ruin to his country which he predicted. 

19. The Jews who then, against his remon- 
strances and advice, withdrew into Egypt, took 
him with them. He there continued to pro- 



62 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

phesy, protesting against the idolatrous practices 
which they there adopted, and foretelling the 
awful consequences. 

20. There is a very old and general tradition 
that his freedom and zeal cost him his life ; the 
Jews at Tahpanhes in Egypt, taking such 
offense at his predictions and rebukes that they 
stoned him to death. It is added that he was 
buried there ; and another tradition states that 
the attention of Alexander the Great being 
called to his tomb, occasion was taken to ac- 
quaint him with the prophet's predictions, 
which induced him to order the removal of his 
remains to Alexandria, where he erected over 
them a magnificent monument. All this is but 
tradition ; but, as Blaney observes, the account 
of the manner of his exit, though not absolutely 
certain, is at least very likely to be true, con- 
sidering the temper and disposition of the par- 
ties concerned. 

21. "The style of Jeremiah," remarks 
Bishop Lowth, " though by no means wanting 
either in elegance or sublimity, is yet inferior to 
Isaiah in both. His thoughts, indeed, are some- 
what less elevated, and he is commonly more 
diffuse in his sentences ; but the reason of this 
may be, that he is mostly taken up with the 
gentler passions of grief and pity, for the ex- 
pression of which he had a peculiar talent. 
This is most evident in the Lamentations, where 
those passions altogether predominate ; but it 
is often visible also in his prophecies, in the 
former part of the book more especially, which 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 63 

is principally poetical ; the middle portions are 
chiefly historical ; but the last part, consisting 
of six chapters, is entirely poetical, and contains 
several oracles distinctly marked, in which this 
prophet falls very little short of the lofty style of 
Isaiah." 

22. He prophesied, B. C. 628 to 586; from 
the reign of Josiah until the government of 
Gedeliah, and the flight of the remnant into 
Egypt. 

23. Book of Habakkuk. This prophet is 
believed to have uttered his predictions in the 
years B. C. 612-598 ; to have been contempo- 
rary with Jeremiah, and alive at the destruction 
of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. 

24. The subject of his prophecies are much 
the same as those of Jeremiah, viz. : the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and the 
consolations of the faithful amid all their national 
calamities. The promise of the Messiah is 
confirmed ; the overruling providence of God 
is asserted ; and the concluding prayer, or rather 
hymn, recounts the wonders which God had 
wrought for his people, when he led them from 
Egypt into Canaan, and is expressive of the most 
perfect confidence in the fulfillment of his pro- 
mises. 

25. The style of Habakkuk is highly poet- 
ical, and he is remarkable for the grandeur of 
his imagery. Bishop Lowth considers the 
hymn in the third chapter as one of the most 
perfect specimens of the Hebrew ode. 

26. Book of Daniel. Daniel's history is 



64 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

given quite at large in his own book. It 
appears that he was in the first band of Hebrew 
captives sent to Babylon in the fourth year of 
Jehoiakim, about seven years before the second 
company, which included Ezekiel. He was 
quite a youth at this time ; and it appears that 
this first company of captives were all persons 
of consideration, and youths of distinguished 
families. The Jews believe that Daniel was 
of the royal family, and descended from Heze- 
kiah. 

27. Through the wisdom given him from 
above, and the signal favor of God manifested 
toward him before the heathen, he rose to dis- 
tinction at the court of Babylon, and was held 
in high consideration by its successive kings, 
through the whole seventy years that his nation 
remained. As Josesphus observes, he was the 
only one of the prophets who enjoyed a high 
degree of worldly prosperity. His life, how- 
ever, was not without its trials, disturbed as it 
was by the envy and murderous plots of jealous 
courtiers ; but all these served but the more to 
manifest his righteousness and faith, and in the 
end tended to establish him all the more firmly 
in his high places. 

28. Daniel must have lived to a great age. 
There is an interval of seventy years between 
his first prophecy (chap, ii, 1,) and his last, 
(chap, x, 1.) Some suppose him to have been 
twenty years of age when carried into captivity ; 
he was possibly younger. However, ten years 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 65 

after we find him celebrated for his piety and 
wisdom. Ezek. xiv, 14, 20. 

29. At the date of his last prophecy, in the 
first year of Cyrus, he must have been about 
ninety years of age ; and it is not probable that 
he suvived much longer. There is no record 
of the time or the place of his death ; but the 
Jewish writer of the lives of the prophets, 
having stated that he died in Babylon, his ac- 
count has been usually followed, although it is 
quite as probable that he died at Susa, where his 
last prophecy is dated. 

30. Josephus calls Daniel not only a prophet, 
but one of the greatest of the prophets ; adding, 
that he not only in common with other prophets 
foretold future things, but also fixed the precise 
time of their coming to pass. Our Saviour 
cites him as " Daniel the prophet." It is im- 
portant to note this, as in the Hebrew Bibles 
the Book of Daniel does not appear among 
those of the prophets, but in the Hagiography ; 
that is to say, the Jews fully recognized the 
Book of Daniel as holy writ, but refuse to con- 
sider it as prophetic, or to regard Daniel as a 
prophet. For this they assign many frivolous 
reasons ; but the real one can be easily conjec- 
tured to be that Daniel's famous predictions, 
concerning the Messiah, so remarkably corres- 
pond with the history of Christ, and what is 
more, with the time of his appearance, that they 
could not justify their refusal to receive him 
as the expected Messiah, without altogether 

5 



66 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

denying the prophetic character of DanieFs 
book. 

31. This change was made after the time of 
Christ, as we know by the testimony of Josephus, 
and from the fact, that the Jews, from the time 
given in Daniel's prophecy, were expecting the 
Saviour's advent at the time he came. 

32. The Book of Obadiah. The Bible 
gives us no information concerning this prophet, 
and the time in which he lived is conjectured 
from his prophecy to have been about 588 
B. C. From the matter of the prophecy, re- 
citing the triumph of the Edomites over the 
desolations of Israel, and the pronunciation of 
their doom, it is generally concluded that Oba- 
diah was contemporary with Jeremiah and 
Ezekiel, and delivered his prophecy within the 
interval of the few years which took place be- 
tween the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebu- 
chadnezzar, and that of Edom by the same 
prince. 

33. The writings of Obadiah, which consist 
of only one chapter, are composed with much 
beauty, and unfold a very interesting scene of 
prophecy. 

34. The Book of Ezekiel. The name of 
this prophet signifies the strength of God. 
Like Jeremiah, he was one of the sacerdotal 
race, and was one of the captives carried away 
to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. It does not 
appear that he had prophesied before he came 
into Chaldea. 

35. The principal scene of his prophecies 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 67 

was at some place on the river Chebar, a stream 
flowing into the Euphrates, some two hundred 
miles north of Babylon. Tradition says that 
he was put to death by the prince of the cap- 
tivity, or the commander of the Jews, in the 
place of his exile, because this prince was 
addicted to idolatry, and could not bear the re- 
proaches of the prophet. 

36. It is the general opinion that he was 
contemporary with Jeremiah, and thus, during a 
very important period, one prophesied in Mesopo- 
tamia while the other predicted in Judea. How 
extraordinary their correspondence, though so 
widely separated from each other! It is sup- 
posed that the prophecies of Jeremiah were 
sent to Mesopotamia, and those of Ezekiel to 
Judea, to give encouragement and confidence to 
the captive Jews on the one hand, and, on the 
other, to reprove, and leave without excuse, 
those that remained in their own country. 

37. Bishop Lowth thus characterizes the 
style of Ezekiel : " Ezekiel is much inferior to 
Jeremiah in elegance ; in sublimity he is not 
even excelled by Isaiah ; but his sublimity is 
of a totally different kind. He is deep, vehe- 
ment, tragical. The only sensation he affects 
to excite is the terrible ; his sentiments are 
elevated, fervid, full of fire, indignant; his 
imagery is crowded, magnificent, terrific, 
sometimes almost to disgust ; his language is 
pompous, solemn, austere, rough, and at times 
unpolished ; he employs frequent repetitions, 
not for the sake of grace or elegance, but from 



68 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the vehemence of passion and indignation. 
Whatever subject he treats of, that he sedulously 
pursues, from that he rarely departs. In many 
respects he is perhaps excelled by the other 
prophets ; but in that species of composition, 
to which he seems by nature adapted — the 
forcible, the impetuous, the great, the solemn — - 
not one of the sacred writers is superior to 
him." 

38. As his writings were considered deep, 
and difficult to be understood, no Jew was per- 
mitted to read his prophecies until he had com- 
pleted his thirtieth year. 

39. Book of Haggai. The date of this 
prophecy is given with the utmost precision in 
the first verse ; and from this we learn that it 
was delivered after the Jews had returned to 
Jerusalem from their captivity, to stimulate and 
encourage them in the work of rebuilding the 
temple. The common opinion is that the pro- 
phet was born in Babylon, that he came up 
to Jerusalem in the company of Zerubbabel, 
and was afterward buried there among the 
priests. 

40. The style of this prophet is, for the most 
part, plain and prosaic, and vehement when he 
reproves ; it is, however, interspersed with pas- 
sages of much sublimity and pathos, when he 
treats of the advent of the Messiah, whom he 
emphatically terms " the Desire of all nations." 

41. The Book of Zechariah. It appears 
from the dates prefixed to this book that Zech- 
ariah was contemporary with Haggai, begin- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 69 

ning to prophesy two months after Haggai had 
commenced his predictions. His father's and 
grandfather's names are given, but no other 
intimations of his family are afforded. From 
chap, ii, 4, it is presumed that he was a young 
man when he commenced the prophetic office ; 
but how long he lived, or where he died, we 
do not know. Tradition, however, states that 
he was buried near Jerusalem, and still points 
to his tomb. 

42. His object seems to be nearly the same 
as that of Haggai, to stimulate the returned cap- 
tives to diligence in the work of rebuilding, to 
faithfulness in the worship of God, and to en- 
courage their faith and hope by the promise of 
the Messiah. 

43. Bishop Lowth esteems his style "gene- 
rally prosaic ; but toward the conclusion of the 
prophecy there are some poetical passages, and 
those highly ornamented." 

44. The Book of Malachi. The name 
signifies "my angel" or " my messenger ;" but 
whether it is to be understood as a proper name, 
or as a title applied to his office as a prophetic 
messenger of God, is a question difficult to de- 
cide with certainty. 

45. Some have supposed that the prophecy 
is anonymous, and the title Malachi is given to 
the prophet from his distinct prediction con- 
cerning the messenger who was to precede 
Christ. It is the opinion of some that the book 
was written by Ezra, but the most rational view 
is, that the appellation is the actual name of 



70 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the prophet, and that he was contemporary with 
Nehemiah. 

46. He was undoubtedly the last of the Old 
Testament prophets ; and his remarkably clear 
and explicit prophecy of the forerunner of the 
Messiah with great propriety closes the ancient 
canon. 

47. " The last of the prophetical books," 
says Lowth, " is written in a kind of middle 
style, which seems to indicate that Hebrew 
poetry, from the time of the Babylonish cap- 
tivity, was in a declining state, and, being past 
its prime and vigor, was then fast verging to- 
ward the debility of age." 

48. The majestic style of the latter portion 
of this book hardly seems to justify the depreciat- 
ing criticism of the bishop, it appearing to lack 
neither force nor elegance. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 71 

PART II. 

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF PALESTINE. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE DIVISION OF PALESTINE AMONG THE 
TWELVE TRIBES. 

1. When Canaan was conquered by the Is- 
raelites, the land was divided among the tribes 
by lot. The different tribes bore the names 
of the twelve sons of Jacob, from whom they 
were descended, viz., Reuben, Simeon, Levi, 
Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, 
Zebulon, Joseph, and Benjamin. 

2. Two of these sons had no inheritance bear- 
ing their names, viz., Levi, whose descendants 
were priests, and were supported in common, 
being distributed throughout the land ; and Jo- 
seph, whose two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, 
were adopted as his own sons by Jacob, and 
gave names to separate tribes. 

3. Reuben's possession lay upon the east 
side of the Dead Sea and the river Jordan, and 
north of the river Arnon. This territory was 
noted for the multitude of its cattle and flocks. 
Its principal towns were Heshbon, celebrated 
for its fish-pools ; Medeba, noted in David's 



72 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

wars ; Aroer, Dibon, and Kedemoth, referred 
to in the Book of Joshua. 

4. North of Reuben, upon the same side of 
the Jordan, was the territory of Gad, extending 
to the mountains of Gilead. Here were Jabesh- 
gilead, (Judges xxi,) and Ramoth-gilead, where 
Ahab, king of Israel, was slain, 1 Kings xxii ; 
Mahanaim, where Jacob met a band of angels, 
sent by God to encourage him, Gen. xxxii ; 
Penuel, where God met him ; and Succoth, 
where he resided on his return from Padan- 
aram. Here also was Zaretan, where was 
the foundery of Solomon, for casting the brazen 
vessels of the temple, 1 Kings vii, 46 ; and 
Rabbath-ammon, where Uriah, the husband of 
Bathsheba, was treacherously slain, by the 
command of King David. 2 Sam. xi, 17. 

5. North of Gad was the portion of the half- 
tribe of Manasseh, beyond Jordan. In this 
territory was the town of Dan, once the most 
northern town of Israel, while Beersheba was 
the most southern. Thus, when the whole 
length of the country was spoken of, the phrase, 
" from Dan even unto Beersheba," was used. 
Here Jeroboam set up one of his golden calves 
(the other being at Bethel, in the south of 
Ephraim) for the people to worship, so that 
they might not go up to Jerusalem. 1 Kings 
xii, 29. Here were also Geshur, the birth- 
place of Absalom's mother; and Argob, Asta- 
roth, and Edrei, which were cities of Bashan, 
whose giant king, Og, was conquered by the 
Israelites before they crossed the Jordan. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 73 

6. Asher was the most northern of the tribes, 
and bordered upon the Mediterranean. In its 
borders were the celebrated cities of Tyre and 
Sidon. Here also was the town of Zarephath, 
where the prophet Elijah dwelt, while there 
was famine in other parts of the land of Israel; 
and here he raised the widow's son to life. 
1 Kings xvii. 

7. Between Asher and the Jordan was the 
territory of Naphtali. Hazor, within its limits, 
was the residence of King Jabin ; at Harosheth 
lived Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army. 
Judg. iv, 2. Kadesh-naphtali was the resi- 
dence of Barak. 

8. South of Asher and Naphtali was Zebu- 
Ion, extending from the Mediterranean to the 
Sea of Galilee. The principal towns were 
Gath-hepher, the native place of the prophet 
Jonah ; Bethulia ; and Jokneam, a city of the 
Levites. 

9. Issachar was south of Zebulon. Here 
was Megiddo, on the river Kishon, and near 
the famous plain of Jezreel, celebrated for its 
numerous battles between Judah and Israel. At 
Shunem, the prophet Elijah restored the son 
of the Shunamite woman to life. 1 Kings 
iv, 35. Here was also Dothan, whither 
Joseph sought his envious brethren. Gen. 
xxxvii, 28. 

10. South of Issachar was Manasseh. The 
principal towns in this division were Jezreel, 
where was a palace of the kings of Israel, and 
where Jezebel was killed, 2 Kings ix, 33 5 



74 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Endor, where Saul consulted the woman with 
a familiar spirit, 1 Sam. xxviii, 7 ; Ophrah, the 
native town of Gideon ; and Bezek, where ten 
thousand Canaanites were slain, and their king 
taken prisoner. Judg. i, 4. 

11. Next upon the south came Ephraim. Sa- 
maria was in this division, afterward the capi- 
tal of the kingdom of Israel. Here also were 
Shechem, where Abraham and Jacob resided ; 
Shiloh, where the tabernacle was set up and 
remained until the days of Eli ; Abelmeholah, 
where the prophet Elisha was born ; Joppa, the 
chief seaport of the Israelites ; Timnath- 
serah, where Joshua died and was buried, 
Josh, xxiv, 30 ; and Ramah, the birthplace of 
Samuel. 

12. In Dan, situated on the south of Ephraim, 
were the Philistine cities, Ashdod, Ekron, and 
Gath. To Ashdod the ark was removed by the 
Philistines when they conquered Israel. Gath 
was the native town of Goliath, whom David 
killed. 

13. In Simeon, south of Dan, were Gaza 
and Askelon, also belonging to the Philistines. 
At Gaza, Samson carried away the city-gates. 
Judg. xvi. Askelon was the birthplace of 
Herod the Great. At Beersheba, Abraham and 
Isaac resided. 

14. In the tribe of Benjamin, situated on the 
north of Judah, were Jericho, the first town 
conquered by the Israelites, in Canaan ; Gil- 
gal, where they encamped when they passed 
the Jordan ; Gibeah, the residence of Saul ; 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 75 

Gibeon, whose inhabitants deceived Joshua, 
and where, at the command of Joshua, " the sun 
stood still in the midst of the heavens," Josh. 
x, 12, 13 ; Bethel, where Jacob saw his first 
vision ; Naioth, where Samuel and the sons of 
the prophets dwelt ; Anathoth, the birthplace 
of Jeremiah ; and Bahurim, where Shimei cursed 
David and stoned him. 

15. Judah was on the south of Benjamin, 
situated between the tribe of Simeon and the 
Dead Sea, and extending to the desert upon the 
south. In the borders of this tribe was Jerusa- 
lem, the capital of the whole country. Here 
also were Bethlehem, the city of David ; Heb- 
ron, where Abraham resided ; Tekoah, the na- 
tive town of the prophet Amos ; Beth-shemesh, 
where the Philistines sent back the ark ; Kir- 
jath-jearim, the place to which the ark was 
then removed ; Adullam,near which, in a cave, 
David hid himself from Saul ; and Engedi, or 
the city of palm-trees, celebrated for its vine- 
yards, its camphire, or cypress-trees. Solo- 
mon's Song i, 14. 



76 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER II. 

GENERAL VIEW OF PALESTINE. 

1. It is very important that, in the study of the 
New Testament, we should have some know- 
ledge of the country in which the events there 
recorded transpired. 

2. Palestine is situated in the eastern part 
of Asia, forming a narrow strip of land border- 
ing upon .the eastern shore of the Mediterra- 
nean Sea. It forms a small part of what is 
now called Turkey in Asia, being the south- 
eastern portion of Syria. 

3. It is known by a number of names in the 
sacred Scriptures, such as the " Land of Ca- 
naan," from its earliest inhabitants ; the " Land 
of Promise," from God's promise to Abraham, 
that his seed should possess it ; the " Land of 
Israel," from the Israelites ; the " Land of Ju- 
dah," or " Judea," from the tribe of Judah, the 
most celebrated of the twelve tribes, and the 
only one, including Benjamin, that remained in 
the land after the captivity ; and the " Holy 
Land," because it was the scene of the birth, 
miracles, death, and resurrection, of our Saviour 
Jesus Christ. It received the name of Pales- 
tine from the Philistines, who inhabited the 
south-eastern part. 

4. The most common and natural boundaries 
of this small and interesting country are, the 
Arabian desert upon the south, the mountains 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 77 

of Lebanon upon the north, the Mediterranean 
upon the west, and the Syrian desert, eastward 
of the Jordan, and Dead Sea, upon the east — a 
tract of land extending about one hundred and 
eighty miles from north to south, and from 
twenty to sixty miles from east to west. These 
boundaries, however, varied much during the 
history of the Jewish nation, being greatly ex- 
tended in the latter part of the reign of David, 
and his immediate successors, and again limited 
by the conquests of the Assyrians. 

5. This small and insignificant province, 
now wretchedly cultivated, its cities but masses 
of ruins — without commerce, or arts, or agri- 
culture — inhabited by a mixed multitude of 
Jews, Arabs, Armenians, and Christians, and 
with no settled government, is, to the Christian 
student, one of the most attractive portions of 
the world, and its history, from its connection 
with the Bible and the Christian religion, one 
of the most interesting ever written. 

6. This scene of desolation was once covered 
with large, populous, and wealthy cities ; these 
barren heights were crowned to their summits 
with exuberant verdure ; the now silent and in- 
fested highways, thronged with a busy and 
happy population ; and instead of various na- 
tions, differing widely in their habits, customs, 
and religious opinions, one large, united, and, in 
every sense, peculiar people, held this land as 
a gift to them directly from Heaven. 

7. Here also, among this people, Christ, the 
Saviour of the world, was born and educated : 



78 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

here he lived, preached, and died by the hands 
of his countrymen. 

8. Since that period the most solemn and 
awful judgments of God have fallen upon this 
nation, and changed their land from a garden 
of the Lord to a perfect wilderness. Oceans 
of blood have been spilt, millions of men slain, 
and innumerable sums of money exhausted in 
vain since then, to recover this territory from 
bondage and ruin ; but still it lies " an astonish- 
ment, a proverb, and a by- word." 

9. It was settled by the descendants of Ca- 
naan, the son of Noah, and continued in their 
possession until, on account of their great wick- 
edness, and in accordance with the promise of 
God to Abraham, his descendants, the Israel- 
ites, were brought out of their captivity in 
Egypt, and this land was divided among them. 

10. At that time this country was one of the 
richest and most fruitful in the world. God 
promised Moses, when he appeared to him in 
the burning bush, to bring him and his people 
into " a land flowing with milk and honey," and 
Moses, a short time before his death, confirmed 
the promise in language finely descriptive of 
the country and its productions. " The Lord 
thy God," says the departing lawgiver, " bring- 
eth thee into a good land; a land of brooks of 
water, of fountains, and depths that spring out 
of valleys and hills ; a land of wheat, and barley, 
and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates ; a 
land of oil-olive and honey." Deut. viii, 7, 8. 

11. Palestine was a mountainous country, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 79 

but the mountains were cultivated to their sum- 
mits, or covered with luxuriant forests, adding 
much to the beauty of the scene. 

12. It being so diversified with hill and val- 
ley, its climate varies in different places, but 
generally the atmosphere is mild and salubrious. 
During May and the three succeeding months 
the sky is cloudless by day, and at night the 
earth is moistened with a copious dew. The 
winters are short, and in the mountainous parts 
are severe. Snow and hail-storms are common 
in the cold season. To this the Psalmist al- 
ludes when he says, " He casteth forth his ice 
like morsels ; who can stand before his cold V 9 
Psa. cxlvii, 17/ 

13. The principal river of Palestine is the 
Jordan. It rises at the foot of Lebanon, and 
flows south, through Lake Merom and the Sea 
of Galilee, and then continues on its course 
through what is called the " Plain of the Jor- 
dan," until it empties its waters into the Dead 
Sea. 

14. The Jordan seems to have two banks. 
The outermost is formed by the waters when 
the snow, melting upon the mountains, swells 
them " about the time of barley harvest," (Josh, 
iii, 15 ; iv, 18,) and they overflow their ordinary 
banks. It was at this period, when the stream 
was swollen by the mountain torrents, that the 
children of Israel passed over " dry shod" into 
the promised land. Josh, v, 1. 

15. The inner bank is a furlong distant, over 
a level strand, and is lined with bushes and 



80 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

trees, such as tamarisk, willows, oleanders, &c. 
In the covert of these trees, lions and other 
wild beasts hide themselves, and upon an inun- 
dation of the river are forced to make their es- 
cape. To this the prophet seems to allude in 
these words, " He shall come like a lion from 
the swelling of the Jordan." Jer. xlix, 19. 

16. This river runs, from its source to its 
mouth, about one hundred miles, and is gene- 
rally about eighty-two feet wide and nine or 
ten feet deep. The remaining rivers and brooks 
are small, many of them drying up during the 
summer. 

17. The principal lakes are, the Gennesareth, 
and the Asphaltites, or Dead Sea. The for- 
mer, called also the Sea of Galilee, and the Sea 
of Tiberias, is situated in the north-western 
part of Palestine, in the province of Galilee. 
It is a deep, oval basin, surrounded upon all 
sides by high mountains, except where the Jor- 
dan passes through from north to south. 

18. It is from twelve to fifteen miles long, 
and about six broad ; its water is very limpid 
and sweet, and it abounds in a great variety of 
fish, formerly giving occupation and sustenance 
to the inhabitants of Capernaum, Tiberias, and 
the other cities upon its shore. The soil around 
is exceedingly fruitful, and the climate so favor- 
able that nuts, palms, figs, and olive-trees, grow 
in rich luxuriance here, almost the whole year 
round. 

19. In the days of Christ this district was 
thickly settled by skillful and industrious peo- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 81 

pie, who, making good use of the natural ad- 
vantages of the soil and the climate of this fa- 
vored country, carried the improvement of their 
lands to the highest degree of perfection. Now, 
a thin, scattered, ignorant, and indolent popula- 
tion, scarcely obtain a livelihood. 

20. This country and this sea were greatly 
honored with the presence, preaching, and mira- 
cles of the Saviour. He selected Capernaum, 
upon the margin of this lake, as his ordinary 
place of residence. From the fishermen upon 
this lake he called his first disciples and apos- 
tles. The dense population that rilled the ships 
upon the sea, and lived in the surrounding towns 
and cities, he often addressed as he stood upon 
the shore, or sat in Peter's ship. 

21. The sea being hemmed in on all sides 
by lofty heights, was preserved from the effects 
of long-continued storms ; but was very subject 
to sudden and severe gusts of wind, which 
came rushing like a tornado down the sides of 
the mountain. One of these tempests called 
forth an astonishing display of our Lord's 
power, when he rebuked the wind and the sea, 
and there was a great calm. 

22. Upon this sea, in the night, he walked 
to his terrified disciples, whose fear ended in 
joy as they discovered their Master. Upon the 
shore of this sea he also exhibited himself to 
his disciples, just before his resurrection. 

23. The whole scene has now changed. 
Not a ship (and but one or two boats) disturbs 
the silence of the waters ; the cities that lined 

6 



82 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the shores are entirely gone, or in ruins, and 
the busy population has also passed away : — 
all is gloomy and deathly, where before all was 
beautiful and full of life. 



CHAPTER III. 

LAKES AND MOUNTAINS OF PALESTINE. 

1. Lake Asphaltites, commonly called the 
Dead Sea, and anciently styled the " Sea of the 
Plain," from its situation in the hollow, or plain 
of the Jordan, is a large sheet of water, about 
fifty miles long and from ten to twelve wide. 
Its dark, sluggish waters, roll over the formerly 
fruitful vale where once stood Sodom, Gomor- 
rah, and the other cities of the plain : a valley 
so rich and fruitful that it was styled the " gar- 
den of the Lord." It was changed into its pre- 
sent desolate appearance, when " the Lord 
rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone 
and fire out of heaven, and overthrew the 
cities and all the inhabitants of the cities, and 
that which grew upon the ground." Gen. xix, 
24, 25. 

2. The country around is barren and unin- 
viting ; the shore of the sea is incrusted with 
salt, and the waters are exceedingly bitter, pro- 
ducing an unpleasant prickling sensation upon 
the skin. The waters of the sea are so buoy- 
ant as to make it almost impossible for a per- 
son to sink beneath the surface — they easily 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 83 

float one as he lays upon his back. An op- 
pressive silence settles over the dreary scene ; 
no boat ever disturbs its heavy bosom, and not 
a fish swims in its waters. It is a mistake, 
however, that no bird can fly above it, on ac- 
count of its unhealthy exhalations ; neither are 
the w r alls of cities seen beneath its waves, nor 
is the salt statue of Lot's wife now preserved : 
but the dark, silent, foetid sea, still rolls its 
heavy waters through the vale, an everlasting 
monument of God's abhorrence of sin. 

3. " The appearance of the lake," says Dr. 
Robinson, " is such as might naturally be ex- 
pected from the character of its waters, and of 
the region round about. It lies in a deep cal- 
dron, surrounded by lofty cliffs of naked lime- 
stone rock, and exposed seven or eight months 
each year to the unclouded beams of a burning 
sun. Nothing, therefore, but sterility and death- 
like solitude can be looked for upon its shores, 
and nothing else is found." 

4. This vast lake, receiving in addition to the 
Jordan several other streams, has no outlet ; 
hence it was long supposed that it discharged 
its waters by subterranean channels into the 
Red Sea. Later investigations have proved 
the impossibility of this, and attribute its regu- 
lar exhaustion to evaporation, which, under the 
burning sun, in so exposed a situation, must be 
sufficient to meet the amount of surplus water 
poured in by the rivers. 

5. One of the most prominent features of 
Palestine is its mountains. Whether you ap- 



84 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

proach from the desert or the sea, one lofty 
chain of heights is observed, branching out in 
different directions — some of the detached tops 
buried in the clouds — running from north to 
south across the whole land. 

6. The difference between this land and 
Egypt, with its low plains, bordered by a sandy 
desert, from whence the Israelites were brought, 
under the direction of Moses, is thus beautifully 
expressed by him in his address to the people : 
" For the land whither thou goest in to possess 
it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye 
came out, where thou sowedst thy seed and 
wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbs : 
but the land whither ye go to possess it, is a 
land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of 
the rain of heaven." Deut. xi, 11. 

7. His land being flat, and seldom refreshed 
by a single shower, the sole dependence of the 
Egyptian for water is upon his only river, the 
Nile, which annually overflows the low, plain 
land, forming its banks. To receive as much 
benefit as possible from this stream, canals and 
sluices are cut, at the expense of much labor, 
through their lands, and the waters of the river, 
at its overflow, are retained in cisterns, or raised 
by machinery moved by buffaloes, or by men, 
and being received into tanks, are distributed 
over the plantation in small streams, guided by 
the mattock or the foot. 

8. Not so the promised land : its fruitful 
soil was watered by the rains of heaven, and 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 85 

its rich landscape diversified by verdant heights 
and teeming valleys. 

9. The highest and most remarkable moun- 
tains in the Holy Land are those of Lebanon, 
forming with their chain the northern boundary 
of the country. In winter the tops of these 
mountains are covered with snow, and upon the 
highest summits it is said to remain throughout 
the year. Anciently, (and still to some degree,) 
they abounded in odoriferous trees of various 
descriptions, sending forth clouds of sweet per- 
fume. 

10. To this, allusion is made by the inspired 
writers, as when the graces of the church are 
thus represented : " The smell of thy garments 
is like the smell of Lebanon." At the foot of 
the mountains and round their bases are luxu- 
riant olive plantations and vineyards. 

11. High up the sides of the mountain, as 
well as at its foot, are numerous habitations. 
The soil is fertile, and rendered more so by 
the pure sparkling rivulets which run down the 
heights, producing corn, and oil, and wine, in 
abundance. These mountains have continued 
to preserve their population, more especially 
from their fastnesses affording them shelter 
from the marauding Arab and merciless Turk. 
That most singular and warlike people — 
the Druses — form the body of this popu- 
lation. 

12. The cedar of Lebanon stands unrivaled 
in grandeur and beauty in the vegetable king- 



86 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

dom, and these mountains were once covered 
with these majestic trees, so oftentimes men- 
tioned in the poetry of the Old Testament. 
The spiritual prosperity of the righteous man is 
shown by the exceeding luxuriance and spread 
of this sweet-smelling cedar. " The righteous 
shall flourish as the palm-tree : he shall grow 
as the cedar in Lebanon" 

13. Only a small number of these trees now 
remain, and they are as remarkable for their 
age as size. One, measured by the Rev. H. 
Maundrell, was found to be twelve yards and 
six inches in the girth, and the spread of its 
branches was thirty-seven yards. 

14. Some of the heights of this extended 
chain are familiar to every Bible reader : such 
as Hermon, whose copious dews are celebrated 
by the inspired pen ; and Gilead, east of the 
Jordan, where Laban, being warned of God in 
his pursuit of his son-in-law, Jacob, made a 
solemn covenant with him, in witness of which 
they erected a heap of stones, and called the 
place Gilead, or the heap. Gen. xxxi, 22-55. 

15. The mountains of Abarim lie beyond 
Jordan, in the southern division of the country. 
One part of these mountains, or hills, was dis- 
tinguished by the names of Nebo and Pisgah ; 
Nebo being probably the name of the mountain 
in that part, and Pisgah that of the highest 
peak. From this lofty summit, by God's com- 
mand, Moses, not being permitted to enter the 
promised land, surveyed the land about to be 
bestowed upon Israel. Deut. xxxii, 49. And 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 87 

after he had delivered his farewell to the people, 
again " Moses went up from the plains of Moab 
into the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pis- 
gah," and having surveyed once again the land 
over the Jordan, " Moses, the servant of the 
Lord, died there." Deut. xxxiv, 1, 6. 

16. On the south of Canaan lay Mount Seir, 
the dwelling-place of Esau and his descendants. 
From its former possessors, the Horites, or Ho- 
rims, this mountain was afterward called Mount 
Hor. Upon some peak of this mountain died 
Aaron, brother of Moses, and first high priest. 

17. Gilboa was the name given to a part of 
the range of mountains forming the western 
boundary of the valley of the Jordan. Here 
the Philistines defeated Saul and Jonathan, 
both of whom perished — the one in battle, the 
other by his own sword. Upon which sad event 
the sweet Psalmist of Israel, David, sung, " Ye 
mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, nei- 
ther let there be rain upon you, nor fields of 
offering, for there the shield of the mighty is 
vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though 
he had not been anointed with oil." 

18. Carmel was upon the western border of 
Canaan, on the seacoast. This mountain is 
very rocky ; rises to the height of about two 
thousand feet, and in spite of the ungrateful 
soil, the summit is covered with oaks and other 
trees ; and once, from the still preserved wild 
vines and olives, there must have been culti- 
vated tracts here. In one of the caves of this 
mountain the prophet Elijah fixed his residence. 



88 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

The fields around were celebrated for the rich- 
ness of their verdure, affording fine pasturage. 

19. Tabor is a lofty conical mountain, which 
rises boldly from the midst of the broad, ver- 
dant, and richly cultivated plain of Jezreel, or 
Esdraelon, one of the largest and most remark- 
able plains in the world, having been the scene 
of innumerable battles in the time of the wars 
between Israel and Judah, and afterward be- 
tween the Christian and the Turk. The moun- 
tain itself is a beautiful object, rising thus ab- 
ruptly and regularly from the plain. 

20. From its summit a vast and beautiful 
landscape is presented on every hand ; on the 
south, the mountains of Samaria ; upon the 
north, the Mount of Beatitudes, where Christ 
delivered his sermon to the assembled multi- 
tudes ; the Sea of Galilee upon the north-east; 
and the mountains that guard the shores of the 
Mediterranean, upon the west. It was upon 
this mountain that Christ is supposed to have 
been transfigured before his disciples, " when 
his countenance was altered, and his face shone 
like the sun." 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 89 

CHAPTER IV. 

JERUSALEM. 

1. Of this once fruitful and delightful coun- 
try, Jerusalem was the capital, and by far the 
largest city. It is supposed to have been found- 
ed by Melchizedek, and was at that time called 
Salem. In the time of Joshua it was in the 
hands of the Jebusites, by whom it was called 
Jebus. 

2. It was taken from them by him, but seems 
to have fallen again into their hands, as it was 
reconquered by David. The city was at first 
built upon two hills, encompassed upon every 
side with mountains. The soil upon which it 
stood was barren and stony, but the adjacent 
valleys were well watered ; having the fountains 
of Gihon and Siloam, and the brook Kedron, at 
the foot of its walls. 

3. Jebus, the ancient city taken by David, 
was upon a hill toward the south ; opposite it 
was Mount Zion, where David built a new city, 
called by his own name, and where stood his 
royal palace, and afterward the temple of the 
Lord ; for Moriah was one of the hills belong- 
ing to Mount Zion. Between these two moun- 
tains lay the Valley of Millo, afterward filled up 
by David and Solomon. 

4. The Mount of Olives, called so doubtless 
from the great number of olive-trees that once 
grew there, was situated upon the east of Jeru- 



90 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

salem, parted from the city by the deep Valley 
of Jehoshaphat, at the bottom of which runs the 
brook Kedron. Just over this brook, in the 
days of Christ, was the garden of Gethsemane, 
and the Mount of Olives, which were places 
of frequent resort for solitude and prayer, by 
our blessed Redeemer, when attending the 
feasts at Jerusalem. 

5. Upon the west, just outside the gates of 
ancient Jerusalem, was the hill Calvary, re- 
ceiving its name, perhaps, from its resemblance 
to a human skull, or a man's head. Here our 
Saviour was crucified, and from this we may 
presume that it was the place of common exe- 
cution. The hill shown as Calvary, by the 
monks, at the present time, is within the walls 
of the city, and, together with the supposed 
place of his burial, is covered with a massive 
and elegantly adorned church. Whether they 
have fixed upon the spot or not is a question 
still, but its determination is of but little im- 
portance to the Christian, for Christ is no longer 
there, " but risen." 

6. The Valley of Hinnom, or of the sons of 
Hinnom, lay to the south of the city, and was 
noted, in the times of Jewish idolatry, as being 
the place where the barbarous worship of Mo- 
loch was celebrated. Here parents made their 
children pass through the fire, or burned them as 
sacrifices to that hideous idol. To express 
their abhorrence of this worship, it was after- 
ward used as the receptacle of the city offal 
and the carcasses of dead animals, and a 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 91 

perpetual fire was kept up to consume this 
offensive matter. This afforded the Saviour, 
while addressing the Jews, a good illustration 
of that fire that is not quenched, and therefore 
he compares hell to Ge-henna, or the Valley of 
Hinnom. 

7. The whole ancient city was surrounded 
by high, massive walls, with lofty towers, per- 
fectly impregnable, had not the Almighty, on 
account of their crimes, given them into the 
hands of their enemies. 

8. The most stupendous edifice, and, indeed, 
the glory of Jerusalem, was its temple. When 
Solomon came to the throne, his kingdom enjoy- 
ing a general peace, and having at his command 
the most extensive resources, he set himself 
about the work of erecting this building, par- 
tially planned by his father David. 

9. He employed upon it 180,000 laborers, 
and was seven years and a half in completing it. 
It was covered with gold and silver. It spark- 
led with precious stones, and was filled with 
the most highly wrought and elegant furniture. 
This temple, together with the city, was pillaged 
and burned by Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean 
king, and was again rebuilt under the direction 
of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. 

10. Before the advent of our blessed Saviour, 
Judea had become a Roman province, and He- 
rod, succeeding his father in the government, 
took to himself the title of king, and built a 
splendid palace in Jerusalem. He also en- 
larged and embellished the city ; but his most 



92 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

important work was the taking down and re- 
building of the temple. For nine years he em- 
ployed 80,000 workmen upon this vast under- 
taking, and even after this the Jews continued 
to ornament it : so that there was nothing 
inconsistent in their asserting that " forty and 
six years had their temple been in building." 

11. At length, in the year of our Lord 
66, the Jews revolting from the Romans, Titus, 
with an immense army, laid siege to Jerusalem. 
It being the time of the passover, two or three 
millions of the Jews had collected in the city. 
Dreadful dissensions soon arose within the 
walls ; bloody struggles were witnessed through- 
out the city ; a frightful pestilence began to 
rage, and swept off thousands ; and then came 
famine in its most appalling features, so that 
mothers devoured their own children. 

12. At length the ramparts were carried by 
the Romans, and an awful massacre and burn- 
ing commenced. Titus attempted to save the 
temple, but a soldier hurling into it a burning 
fire-brand, it fell amid the fearful outcries of the 
burning Jews, who had fled thither in great mul- 
titudes for refuge. Not "one stone was left 
upon another," and the whole city became a 
heap of ruins. 

13. Since then the city has suffered every 
variety of fortune, having been destroyed and 
rebuilt several times, until it came into the 
hands of the Turks, or the followers of Mo- 
hammed. From them it was retaken by the 
crusaders in the tenth century, who erected 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 93 

many of the churches and convents now stand- 
ing over the supposed sacred sites. 

14. The Ottoman, or Turkish power regained 
the country in 1264, and held possession until 
1832 ; it then came with the rest of Syria into 
the hands of Mohammed Ali, pacha of Egypt. 
Of late the sultan, or Turkish emperor, with 
the assistance of European powers, has driven 
the Egyptian pacha from his Syrian posses- 
sions : but as the contest is not yet ended, we 
can form but a poor conjecture what will at 
length be the fate of this interesting and suffer- 
ing land. In reference to Jerusalem, prophecy 
has been too forcibly fulfilled ; she has indeed 
been " trodden down of the Gentiles." 

15. The city presents now but a squalid and 
mean appearance, compared with its former 
grandeur. It forms an irregular square of about 
two miles in circumference, not entirely situ- 
ated upon the site of the ancient city. Mount 
Zion, where was David's palace, is now covered 
with a convent, a Christian burying-place, and 
a cultivated field, thus literally fulfilling pro- 
phecy : " Therefore shall Zion, for your sakes, 
be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be- 
come heaps." Micah iii, 12. 

16. Mount Moriah, where stood the temple 
of God, is now covered with the Mohammedan 
mosque Omar. " The glory of Jerusalem," says 
Dr. Robinson in his closing reflections upon 
this city, " has indeed departed. From her 
ancient high estate, as the splendid metropolis 
of the Jewish commonwealth, and of the whole 



94 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Christian world, the beloved of nations and the 
' joy of the whole earth, 5 she has sunk into the 
neglected capital of a petty Turkish province ; 
and where of old many hundreds of thousands 
thronged her streets and temple, we now find a 
population of scarcely as many single thousands 
dwelling sparsely within her walls. The cup 
of wrath and desolation from the Almighty has 
been poured out upon her to the dregs ; and 
she sits sad and solitary in darkness and in the 
dust. The Saviour ' beheld the city and .wept 
over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, 
at least in this thy day, the things which belong 
unto thy peace! but now they are hid from 
thine eyes !' 9 * * * * " That which our 
Lord wept over in prospect we now see in ter- 
rible reality. Long since have the days come 
when ' her enemies cast a trench about her, 
and compassed her round, and kept her in on 
every side, and have laid her even with the 
ground, and her children within her ; and have 
not left in her one stone upon another !' " 

17. The present population of Jerusalem is 
about twelve thousand, of which number three 
thousand are Jews. They have come up from 
various countries to the land of their fathers, to 
spend their remaining days, and be buried in 
the shadow of Mount Zion. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 95 

CHAPTER V. 

GENERAL DIVISIONS OF PALESTINE. 

1. Just before the birth of Christ, Palestine 
having been subjugated by the Romans, was 
divided into five provinces — Galilee, Samaria, 
Judea, Perea, and Idumea. 

2. The most northern of these provinces was 
Galilee ; it comprised the country occupied by 
the tribes of Issachar, Naphtali, and Asher, and 
a part of the tribe of Dan. It is naturally one 
of the most fertile and beautiful countries in the 
world. " Vine stocks are to be seen here a 
foot and a half in diameter, forming by their 
twining branches vast arches and extensive 
ceilings of verdure." 

3. Nothing but a good government and an 
industrious people are wanted to make Galilee 
a paradise. It was formerly divided into Up- 
per and Lower Galilee. 

4. Upper Galilee embraced the northern and 
more mountainous portion, and from its proximi- 
ty to the Gentiles, inhabiting Tyre and Sidon, 
is called Galilee of the nations, or of the Gen- 
tiles, and also the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 

5. Of this region the principal city was Cae- 
sarea Philippi. This city was situated at the 
foot of Mount Hermon, near the source of the 
Jordan, about fifty miles from Damascus and 
thirty from Tyre. Its former name was Paneas : 
but Philip, the youngest son of Herod the Great, 



96 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

made it the capital of his tetrarchy, enlarged 
and embellished it, and called it after his own 
name, Caesarea Philippi, to distinguish it from 
Caesarea, the seaport on the coast of the Medi- 
terranean. Our Saviour visited and taught in 
this place ; here he healed one possessed of an 
evil spirit, and administered his memorable re- 
buke to Peter. Mark viii. 

6. Lower Galilee lay between the Mediter- 
ranean and Sea of Galilee. It was a rich, fer- 
tile, and populous plain, containing, according 
to Josephus, two hundred cities and towns, and 
it remains to this day the richest and best-cul- 
tivated portion of the Holy Land. This pro- 
vince was honored most of all with the presence 
of the Saviour when upon earth : its vast popu- 
lation offering numerous opportunities for mani- 
festing his tender compassion as he went about 
doing good ; and it being beyond the malicious 
power of the priests of Jerusalem, it was pre- 
ferred by our Lord as his abode. Here his pa- 
rents resided, hither he returned after his bap- 
tism and temptation, and hence he was called 
in derision a Galilean. 

7. The principal cities and towns in this 
province visited by the Saviour, are Tiberias, 
Chorazin, Bethsaida, Nazareth, Cana, Caper- 
naum, Nain, Caesarea. 

8. Tiberias, situated on the western shore of 
the Sea of Galilee, called also, from itself, the 
Sea of Tiberias, was founded by Herod Anti- 
pas, and called Tiberias, after the Roman em- 
peror. Inhabitants were collected from all 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 97 

quarters by Herod, and the city soon became 
the capital of Galilee. 

9. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the 
sanhedrim was removed to this city, and in the 
second century one of the most celebrated rab- 
binical schools was at the height of its renown 
here. One of the teachers in this school col- 
lected the traditions of the Jewish elders in a 
work called the Mishna, and another after- 
ward wrote a commentary upon it called the 
Gemara, usually known as the Jerusalem Tal- 
mud. These books are held by the modern 
Jews in higher estimation even than the Scrip- 
tures. This city is now a mass of ruins, hav- 
ing been almost entirely overthrown by an earth- 
quake a few years since. 

10. Chorazin and Bethsaida were also situ- 
ated near the Sea of Galilee. The latter was 
the residence of Andrew, Peter, and Philip. 
It was beautified by Herod and called Julias, 
in compliment to the daughter of Augustus. At 
the present time, however, no traces remain to 
point out the line of its walls or the foundation 
of its palaces. Every relict of both these cities 
is passed away. How much meaning was con- 
veyed in the words of the Saviour, " Wo unto 
thee, Chorazin ! Wo unto thee, Bethsaida !" 

1 1 . Nazareth was the city of Christ's early 
residence, and belonged to the tribe of Zebu- 
Ion, and was of little repute among the other 
cities of Palestine. Hence he was called in 
derision " a Nazarene." Here our Lord passed 
his youth, and in its synagogue preached his 

7 



98 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

first public discourses, and from hence, on ac- 
count of his severe rebukes, he was driven by 
the enraged populace. 

12. It is situated at the extremity of an ele- 
vated valley, surrounded by hills, excepting 
upon one side, which overlooks a deep preci- 
pice. The present town stands upon the same 
site as the ancient place of the same name. 
The most conspicuous building in the town is 
the Latin convent, erected by the monks over 
the pretended site where stood the house of Jo- 
seph and Mary. 

13. Cana. This was a small town not far 
from Nazareth, where Jesus performed his first 
miracle. It was the native city of Nathaniel, 
one of his earliest disciples. 

14. Capernaum. This city was situated 
upon the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, and 
enjoyed an enviable pre-eminence in the labors 
of Christ. Here he lived and taught, healed 
the sick and raised the dead ; yet so lightly did 
they esteem their high privilege that the Saviour 
pronounced upon them the awful imprecation, 
" Thou shalt be cast down to hell :" and most 
emphatically has the prophecy been fulfilled. 
The very site of the town is lost ; different 
points upon the coast of the sea having been 
fixed upon by different travelers — scarcely two 
agreeing. The name, even, is no longer heard 
along the shore, save from the lips of the in- 
quiring traveler, and in the legends of the lying 
monks. 

15. Nain was a small city about two miles 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 99 

from Mount Tabor, noted as being the scene of 
one of the most touching acts in the Saviour's 
life — the raising of the widow's son. 

16. Caesarea. This was a seaport upon the 
Mediterranean, of considerable importance, and 
is often mentioned in the New Testament. It 
was built by Herod the Great, and named by 
him in honor of Augustus Caesar. 

17. Here Herod Agrippa was smitten with 
a terrible disease, in punishment for his arro- 
gating to himself divine honors. Here lived 
Cornelius, the centurion, when visited and bap- 
tized by Peter. It was also the residence of 
Philip, the deacon, with his four maiden daugh- 
ters. 



CHAPTER VI. 

SAMARIA. 

1. The second general division of the Holy 
Land was Samaria, so called from Samaria the 
city, its ancient capital. It was situated be- 
tween Galilee and Judea, with the Mediterra- 
nean upon the west, and the river Jordan upon 
the east, embracing the country originally oc- 
cupied by Ephraim and Manasseh. 

2. It was formerly one of the most fertile 
and well-watered portions of Palestine. Its 
mountains, instead of presenting the barren and 
uncultivated appearance of those around Jeru- 
salem, are clothed to the summit with the 



100 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

richest vegetation. Even now, neglected as it 
is, many of the valleys and hillsides are covered 
with unbroken verdure, or shaded with the rich 
clustering olive and other trees. 

3. From its central position, we can under- 
stand the sacred writers, who, when speaking 
of Christ's journeyings from Judea, add, that he 
" must needs pass through Samaria." 

4. Samaria, its capital, was first founded by 
Omri, king of Israel, who purchased the hill 
upon which it is situated, and built a strong 
city. From this time it continued to be the 
capital of Israel, until the Assyrian king carried 
the ten tribes away captive. During this time 
the city was adorned and fortified by twenty 
successive kings. 

5. Here Ahab built his palace of ivory and 
a temple to Baal. 1 Kings xxii, 39. Here the 
prophet Elisha lived, when Naaman, the Sy- 
rian captain, stood before his door, to be cured 
of his leprosy. 2 Kings v. It was when this city 
was besieged by the Syrian hosts, that the awful 
famine, in which mothers were driven to such 
desperation as to boil and eat their children, 
was experienced — and, according to the pro- 
phecy of Elisha, the succeeding day after it 
was at its height, the market was overflowing 
with abundance, God having dispersed the 
enemy. 2 Kings vi, 24 ; vii. 

6. After the Israelites were carried into cap- 
tivity, Samaria and the neighboring provinces 
were filled with a mixed people, brought from 



BIBLE SCHOLAK'S MANUAL. 101 

the East, afterward called Samaritans, from the 
name of the country. 

7. The city eventually came into the hands 
of Herod the Great, and was by him much en- 
larged and beautified. Its name was changed 
to Sebaste, which it now bears. 

8. In the times of the apostles, Philip preached 
here with great success ; a church was formed, 
and Peter and John were sent down to confirm 
their faith. This beautiful and strong city, so 
finely situated, according to the prophecy of 
Hosea, written two thousand years ago — " Sa- 
maria shall become desolate," (Hosea xiii, 16,) 
— is now a heap of ruins. 

9. Sichem, or Shechem, called also Sychar, 
is another important city of Samaria. It is a 
very old city, having been built previously to 
the time of Jacob. Before this city he bought a 
field and pitched his tent. Gen. xxxiii, 19. Here 
his flocks were pastured and guarded by his 
sons, when he afterward removed to Hebron, 
and here it was that Joseph was sent to visit 
his brethren and inquire concerning their wel- 
fare, when they wickedly sold him to the Ish- 
maelites. 

10. The city is situated in a small, deep val- 
ley, with Mount Ebal upon the north, and Mount 
Gerizim upon the south. It was in this city 
that Joshua, just before his death, gathered to- 
gether all the tribes of Israel, and in a most 
affecting manner delivered to them his final ad- 
dress, (Josh, xxiv,) and under an oak here a 



102 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

great stone was set up as a witness that they 
had made a covenant with the Lord to serve 
him. 

11. Here Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, 
called the tribes, to be acknowledged by them 
as king of Israel, but refusing to accede to their 
terms they revolted under Jeroboam, leaving 
only Judah and Benjamin as his subjects. 
Shechem was at first the royal city of the re- 
volted tribes. 

12. After the country was overrun by the 
Assyrians, and its empty cities filled by the 
mixed multitude, called Samaritans, this city 
became the capital of the country, and the chief 
seat of the Samaritan religion. Upon the ad- 
joining height, Mount Gerizim, their temple had 
been built by Sanballet, and there, with many 
Jewish ceremonies, mingled with idolatrous 
superstitions, they worshiped and cherished 
their ancient enmity to their neighbors the 
Jews, who worshiped God upon Mount Zion. 

13. This city was called Sychar in the times 
of our Saviour, and afterward Neapolis, or Nab- 
lous, which latter name it now bears. During 
our Lord's ministry he visited this city and held 
his memorable conversation with one of the 
women of the place, while he rested upon Ja- 
cob's well, just outside the walls of the city. 

14. This well remains to the present day, 
an interesting monument of patriarchal times. 
" This ancient town still continues, and is one of 
the most populous in the Holy Land, being still 
the metropolis of a rich and extensive country, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 103 

abounding in agricultural wealth." It is sur- 
rounded by beautiful gardens, and groves of 
fruit and shade trees. 

15. It has a population of from eight to ten 
thousand. About one hundred and fifty Samari- 
tans, the last remnant of this singular people, 
are still clinging here to their customs, worship- 
ing four times a year at their great festivals 
upon Gerizim, and waiting for the coming of 
Christ. 

16. Clarke, the traveler, makes the follow- 
ing interesting observations upon this place : 
" While Capernaum, the capital of Galilee, 
which was exalted unto heaven, or to the high- 
est prosperity, when Jesus and his apostles 
preached there in vain, is brought down to hell 
or entire destruction, being nothing now but 
shapeless ruins ; and while Samaria, the capital 
of the country which bore its name, is cast down 
into the valley — Sychar, then one of its inferior 
cities, from which the inhabitants came forth to 
meet Jesus, and in which many believed in him 
as the Saviour, when they heard his word, is 
ranked by every traveler who describes it 
among the most striking exceptions to the 
general desolation which has otherwise left 
but a remembrance of the cities of Judah, 
Samaria, and Galilee." 



104 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER VII. 

JUDEA. 

1. The third division of Palestine is Judea. 
This embraces the remainder of the Holy Land, 
lying between Samaria on the north, and the 
desert upon the south, the Mediterranean upon 
the west, and the Jordan and Dead Sea upon 
the east. This is by far the most celebrated of 
all the divisions. 

2. It comprises the territory formerly belong- 
ing to the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, 
and a part of Dan. In general fertility it was 
surpassed by the other provinces ; still it affords 
the most interesting field of observation to the 
Bible student and the traveler, on account of 
the numerous and important events that have 
transpired within its limits. Its capital, and 
the metropolis of the whole country, is Jerusa- 
lem, a description of which has already been 
given. 

3. The other cities and towns rendered 
interesting from their connection with Scrip- 
ture history are — Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, 
Joppa, Lydda, Rama, Bethany, Bethphage, and 
Arimathea. 

4. Next to Jerusalem in interest is the small 
town of Bethlehem, from being the birthplace 
of the Saviour of the world. Its name signi- 
fies a house of bread, expressive of its former 
fruitfulness, and extremely significant, when we 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 105 

recollect the character of the wonderful person- 
age born within its walls. It was called Beth- 
lehem of Judea, to distinguish it from another 
town of the same name in the tribe of Zebulon. 

5. It was first called Ephrath or Ephrata, 
and is also sometimes styled the city of David, 
because that illustrious king was born and 
educated there. Near this place the patriarch 
Jacob was bereaved of his favorite wife Rachel, 
as she was giving birth to Benjamin, and here 
he buried her, placing a pillar over her grave : 
this site has been preserved through all ages 
and the vicissitudes of the Holy Land, and is 
now marked by a Turkish monument. 

6. In this city the wealthy Boaz resided, and 
in his extensive fields the modest Ruth gleaned 
provisions for herself and mother-in-law, Naomi, 
and by her attractions, winning the affections of 
the master, became his wife, the mother of Obed, 
who was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 
When a boy, upon the adjoining hills, David, 
that " ruddy stripling," led his father's flocks, 
and passed his leisure hours in the study of 
God's works, and the sweet music of his harp. 
Here Samuel the prophet found him, and 
anointed him to be king of Israel. And here, 
at the appointed time, in a stable of the cara- 
vansary, Jesus Christ our Saviour was born into 
this world. 

7. The Arabs now call this place Beit Lahm, 
or house of flesh. It is about six miles south 
of Jerusalem, conspicuously situated upon an 
eminence, and appearing to good advantage, 



106 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

from its buildings being painted white. It con- 
tains about three thousand inhabitants. Around 
the town are a number of olive and fig orchards 
and vineyards, while the adjacent fields pro- 
duce crops of grain. 

8. The most important edifice in the town 
is a large convent, built over the reputed place 
of Christ's nativity : little reliance however can 
be placed upon this tradition. Instead of being 
shown an humble manger, as the place of 
Christ's birth, the traveler is conducted first into 
a vast church, and then down into a cave under 
ground, having a marble floor ; its walls are 
covered with tapestry, and lighted with splen- 
did lamps, continually burning. Even below 
this he must descend two feet into another 
chamber, also paved, and lined with marble, 
illuminated with ever-burning lamps, and adorn- 
ed with rich paintings, and this is shown as the 
place where our Redeemer was born. 

9. How sadly does all this magnificence 
and idle parade compare with our Saviour's 
character, and the circumstances of his birth, as 
described by the evangelist : " And she brought 
forth her first-born son, wrapped in swaddling 
clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there 
was no room for them in the inn." 

10. Hebron. This is one of the most an- 
cient still-existing cities in the world. It is 
situated about twenty-seven miles south of Je- 
rusalem, upon the east side of a chain of hills 
that intersect the country from north to south, 
in what was called the " hill country of Judea." 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 107 

This was, and is still, to a great degree, a fer- 
tile and highly cultivated region. Its ancient 
name was Kirjath-arba. 

11. Near the site of this town is a broad 
plain called Mamre, where Abraham pitched 
his tent after he separated from Lot : here was 
the oak, or terebinth, under which he received 
the visit from the angels. Gen. xviii, 1. Here, 
at the advanced age of one hundred and twenty- 
seven, he buried Sarah his wife in the cave of 
Machpelah, and mourned her death, Gen. ii, 3 ; 
and in succeeding years he was laid himself by 
her side, together with Isaac and Rebecca, and 
Jacob and Leah. Gen. xlix, 29-31. 

12. Hither the spies from all the tribes came, 
while the children of Israel were in the Arabian, 
desert, and from the neighboring valley of Esh- 
col cut down from the rich vines one cluster of 
grapes so large that it was necessary that two 
men should bear it upon a staff between them. 
Num. xiii, 21, &c. For his bravery, Caleb, 
who along with Joshua brought a good report 
of the land, received Hebron as an inheritance. 

13. It was afterward appointed as one of the 
cities of refuge and residence of the priests. 
David reigned here over the tribe of Judah, 
until he was anointed by the elders king of all 
Israel. 2 Sam. v, 3. Here his wicked son Ab- 
salom raised the standard of rebellion, and met 
with a merited death for his unnatural crime. 
It is supposed that Zacharias and Elizabeth had 
their residence here, and that it was the birth- 
place of their son, John the Baptist. 



108 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

14. Through all the changes that have passed 
over the land, Hebron still stands upon nearly 
the same site. The region around abounds 
with vineyards, and produces the finest grapes 
in Palestine. The town lies low down the 
sloping sides of a deep valley. Its houses are 
built of stone, with flat roofs. Its population is 
estimated at ten thousand. 

15. The object of the greatest interest in 
Hebron now, is its vast harem or Turkish 
mosque, covering the tomb of the patriarchs and 
their wives, it being two hundred feet in length, 
one hundred and fifteen in breadth, and fifty 
high. The bones of Abraham being es- 
teemed as precious by the Mohammedan as 
by the Jew or Christian, have been thus care- 
fully preserved. The sepulchre within the 
temple is covered with rich carpets of green 
and red silk, magnificently embroidered with 
gold ; these are furnished by the sultans of 
Constantinople, and often renewed. 

16. A touching incident connected with this 
temple and sepulchre is related by Dr. Robin- 
son : " Just at the left of the principal entrance 
is a small hole in the massive wall, through 
which the Jews are permitted at certain times 
to look into the interior. Here several Jewish 
women were reading prayers and wailing, 
although the hole was now closed by a shut- 
ter from within." 

17. What a striking instance of the present 
abasement of the children of Abraham, shut out 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 109 

from the view of their own father's bones by the 
arm of a stranger ; and how vividly do we read 
in this, and a thousand other similar circum- 
stances, the fulfillment of prophecy ! — " The 
stranger that is within thee shall get up above 
thee very high ; and thou shalt come down 
very low." Deut. xxviii, 43. 

18. Jericho. At present this is a miserable vil- 
lage, called Riha, and is inhabited by half-naked 
Arabs : only interesting for its former history. 
It is about twenty miles distant from Jerusalem, 
to the north-east, and little more than a third of 
that distance from the Jordan. It is situated at 
the foot of the sterile mountains of Judea, in a 
vast plain. 

19. This plain is easily watered, and sus- 
ceptible of cultivation, while the climate is mild 
and favorable, yet through the indolence of the 
inhabitants the vicinity is almost a perfect wil- 
derness, and the villages are made up of stone 
hovels, formed from the ancient ruins, and 
thatched with cornstalks or brushwood, spread 
over with gravel. It is one of the meanest and 
most filthy towns in Palestine. One solitary 
palm alone stands as a representative of the 
former grove of these superb trees, which sur- 
rounded this formerly renowned " city of palm- 
trees." Deut. xxxiv, 3; Judges i, 16. 

20. Ancient Jericho probably occupied an- 
other site. It was quite conspicuous in the Old 
Testament history. It was the first city con- 
quered by the Israelites as they entered Canaan, 



110 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and a dreadful curse was threatened him who 
should again build its walls. It was rebuilt, 
however, the founder suffering the penalty of 
his disobedience in the death of his children. 
1 Kings xvi, 34. 

21. It afterward became a school of the 
prophets, (2 Kings ii, 15,) and was appointed 
as a residence for the priests. Herod, during 
his reign, sometimes resided here. He adorned 
and fortified the town ; and here at length he 
died, as horribly wicked to the very last as 
during his life. 

22. Fearing that none would lament his 
death, and that the people would rather rejoice 
in being relieved of such a monster, he deter- 
mined to cause them to mourn at least for 
themselves. He summoned, just before his 
death, the nobles of the land in great numbers, 
and shut them up in the hippodrome or circus, 
giving strict orders to his sister Salome to cause 
them to be put to death the moment he expired : 
this inhuman charge was very wisely left un- 
executed. 

23. Our Lord, upon his last journey to Jeru- 
salem, having traversed the country east of the 
Jordan, passed through Jericho, where he 
healed a blind man, and honored the house of 
Zaccheus with his presence. 

24. The road between this place and Jerusa- 
lem, to this day, is greatly infested with robbers, 
and was the scene of that touching parable of 
the " good Samaritan." One of the towering 
heights of the neighboring mountain, overlook- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. Ill 

ing the whole country, is supposed to be the 
"exceeding high mountain" whither the devil 
took our Lord in that memorable temptation, 
while the desert around was the scene of the 
forty days' fast. The present town contains 
about two hundred miserably poor and indolent 
inhabitants. 

25. Joppa, now called YafTa, is situated upon the 
Mediterranean, north-west of Jerusalem, and was 
formerly its seaport. Here King Solomon had 
all his timber, for the temple, transported by ships 
from Mount Lebanon, to be carried across the 
country to Jerusalem. From this port Jonah 
embarked, to escape from the presence of the 
Lord, when sent by him to warn the Ninevites 
of their destruction. Jonah i, 3. 

26. The gospel was early preached here. 
St. Peter raised Dorcas to life in this town, 
and hither Cornelius was commanded to send 
for Peter, then residing with a tanner, " Simon 
byname." The present town is situated upon a 
high promontory, jutting out into the sea ; upon 
the south are fertile plains reaching to Gaza, 
upon the north the flowing meads of Sharon 
extend as far as Mount Carmel, and to the east 
are seen the hills of Ephraim and Judah. 

27. Lydda. This city was first built by the 
Benjamites ; its Hebrew name was Loo, while 
the Romans called it Diospolis. It was situated 
on the way between Jerusalem and Czesarea 
Philippi, four or five leagues south-east of Joppa. 
Peter coming thither wrought a remarkable cure 
upon ^Eneas, who was sick of the palsy. Acts 



112 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ix, 33, 34. It is now a considerable village of 
small houses, distinguished from other Moham- 
medan towns by the ruins of the celebrated 
Church of St. George, who was a martyr in the 
time of Diocletian, and a native of this city, 
where he was buried. This church was 
erected over his ashes. 

28. Bethany. East of Jerusalem, and just 
over the summit of the Mount of Olives, in a 
shallow valley, is the little village of Bethany, 
rendered so interesting from its connection with 
some of the most touching events in the Sa- 
viour's life. It is nearly two Roman miles 
from Jerusalem, corresponding with the descrip- 
tion of the evangelist, " Now Bethany was nigh 
unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs ofT." 
John xi, 18. 

29. From its proximity to the city, it afforded 
our Lord a desirable retreat from its noise and 
bustle, when the great feasts drew him and the 
multitudes thither from all parts of Palestine. 
Here he formed a close and affectionate ac- 
quaintance with the family of Lazarus ; wept 
at the story of his death as it was announced 
by his sister, in his walk from Jerusalem to 
Bethany, and eventually worked in his behalf 
one of his most stupendous miracles. 

30. Six days before the last passover that he 
celebrated with his disciples, he supped with 
Lazarus and his sisters, and upon the succeed- 
ing morning multitudes came to meet him from 
Jerusalem, bearing branches of palm-trees in 
their hands. Mounted upon a young ass, in 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 113 

exact fulfillment of prophecy, he passed from 
Bethany to the city, escorted by the crowd, 
shouting " Hosanna !" John xii, 1-15. 

31. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus 
led his disciples out from the city " as far as 
Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed 
them. And it came to pass, while he blessed 
them, he was parted from them, and carried up 
into heaven." Luke xxiv, 50, 51. The town 
is now an indifferent village, containing about 
twenty families, called, by the Arabs, El Aziri- 
yeh, the Arab form of Lazarus. 

32. Bethphage. " Of this village," says Dr. 
Robinson, "no trace exists." It was probably 
near to Bethany, toward the east. 

33. Rama and Arimathea. There was a 
small town in the tribe of Benjamin bearing the 
name of Rama, near to Bethlehem, where 
Rachel was buried. There was another town 
of the same name about six miles north-west of 
Jerusalem, near Bethel. Its name signifies an 
eminence, and it was thus given from its being 
situated upon a hill. It is sometimes called, to 
distinguish it, Rama of Samuel, because this 
prophet was born here. Here he resided, died, 
and was buried. 1 Sam. i, 19 ; ii, 17 ; viii, 4. 

34. Its situation is exceedingly beautiful, 
commanding a wide view of the surrounding 
country, of the distant and fertile plain of Sha- 
ron, and of the waters of the Mediterranean. 
It is commonly supposed to be the same as 
Arimathea of the New Testament — the place 
where Joseph lived, who begged the body 

8 



114 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

of Jesus, and buried him in his own new- 
tomb. 

35. Emmaus. This was a small village, 
seven miles and a half north-west of Jerusalem, 
noted as the village whither two of Christ's 
disciples were journeying on the day of the 
resurrection. Not knowing that he had arisen, 
they were communing together in sorrow, when 
Jesus, without discovering himself, joined them, 
and held the interesting conversation recorded 
in the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Luke. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

REMAINING DIVISIONS OF PALESTINE. 

1. We now come to the fourth general divi- 
sion: as the remaining divisions were less often 
visited by our Lord, and are consequently of 
less importance in the elucidation of the Scrip- 
ture history, we shall pass over them in a more 
cursory manner. For this summary of the re- 
maining provinces we are mostly indebted to 
Home. 

2. The fourth division was Peraea. It com- 
prised the six cantons of Abilene, Trachonitis, 
Ituraea, Gaulonitis, Batanea, and Peraea strictly 
so called, to which some geographers have add- 
ed Decapolis. 

3. Abilene was the most northern, being situ- 
ated between the mountains Libanus and Anti- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 115 

Libanus, and deriving its name from the city 
Abila. It is supposed to have been one of the 
four tetrarchies mentioned by St. Luke, (iii, 1,) 
and to have been contained within the borders 
of the tribe of Naphtali. 

4. Trachc nitis was bounded by the Desert of 
Arabia on the east, Batanea on the west, Ituraea 
on the south, and the country of Damascus on 
the north. It abounded with rocks, which af- 
forded shelter to numerous thieves and robbers. 

5. Ituraea anciently belonged to the half- 
tribe of Manasseh, who settled on the east of 
Jordan : it stood east of Batanea, and south of 
Trachonitis. Of these two cantons, Philip, the 
son of Herod the Great, was tetrarch at the 
time John the Baptist commenced his ministry. 
Luke iii, 1. It derived its name from Jetur, 
the son of Ishmael, (1 Chron. i, 31,) and was 
also called Aurantis, from the city of Hauran. 
This region exhibits vestiges of its former fer- 
tility, and is most beautifully wooded and pic- 
turesque. 

6. Gaulonitis and Batanea are not noticed in 
the New Testament. Their limits cannot now 
be easily defined. 

7. Peraea, in its restrictive sense, includes 
the southern part of the country beyond Jordan, 
lying south of Ituraea, east of Judea and Sa- 
maria ; and was anciently possessed by the two 
tribes of Reuben and Gad. Its principal place 
was the strong fortress of Machaerus, erected 
for the purpose of checking the predatory incur- 
sions of the Arabs. This fortress, though not 



116 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

specified by name in the New Testament, is 
memorable as the place where John the Baptist 
was put to death. 

8. The province of Decapolis derives its 
name from its containing within its limits ten 
cities. Concerning its boundaries, and the 
names of these cities, geographers are not 
agreed : but, according to Josephus, whose in- 
timate knowledge of the country constitutes 
him an unexceptionable authority, it contained 
the cities of Damascus, where the scales fell 
from the eyes of Paul, and he began to preach 
after his wonderful conversion; Otopos ; Phi- 
ladelphia, which became one of the seven 
churches over which St. John presided as 
bishop, and which he addressed and warned in 
the book of Revelation ; Raphana ; Scythopo- 
lis, the capital of the district ; Gadara, Hippos, 
Dios, Pella, whither the Christians fled, accord- 
ing to the direction of Christ, when the Roman 
army approached Jerusalem, and thus escaped 
the indescribable horrors of that awful scene ; 
and Gerasa. 

9. The fifth division of this land is Idumaea. 
This province was added by the Romans, on 
their conquest of Palestine. It comprised the 
extreme southern part of Judea, together with 
some small part of Arabia. 

10. During the Babylonish captivity, being 
left destitute of inhabitants, or not sufficiently 
inhabited by its natives, it seems to have been 
seized by the neighboring Idumaeans ; and 
though they were afterward subjugated by the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 117 

powerful arms of the Maccabees and Asmonean 
princes, and embraced Judaism, yet the tract 
of country of which they had thus possessed 
themselves continued to retain the appellation 
of Idumaea in the time of Christ, and indeed for 
a considerable subsequent period. 

11. Although they fell within the bounds of 
the Holy Land, there were a number of cities 
never conquered by the Jews, but which re- 
tained their independence till the last. Among 
these cities, often referred to by prophecy, and 
noticed by our blessed Lord, were Tyre and 
Sidon. 

12. These were cities of Phoenicia, formerly 
very wealthy and distinguished for their com- 
merce with all the known world. They were 
well situated for this, standing upon the shores 
of the Mediterranean, upon the western coast 
of Palestine. Sidon was within the limits of 
the tribe of Asher, but they never could obtain 
possession of it. Judg. i, 31. Its inhabitants 
were the first noted merchants in the world, 
and they were celebrated for their pride and 
luxury. 

13. In our Saviour's time it was a city of 
considerable note ; now it is far less populous, 
and bears the name of Saide. For its sins it 
was visited with severe judgments from the 
Almighty, being invaded and conquered by the 
Babylonians, Egyptians, and Romans, succes- 
sively. 

14. Tyre was founded by a colony from Si- 
don, about twenty miles to the south, and from 



118 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

its facilities soon entirely outstripped its mother 
city in wealth, population, and commerce. Both 
of these are very old cities, having been found- 
ed early after the dispersion of Babel. Tyre 
for many years had the whole commerce of the 
world in her hands. 

15. Hiram, one of her kings, a contemporary 
with Solomon, transported in his vessels the 
timber for the temple from Mount Lebanon. It 
was built partly upon the main land and partly 
upon an island, and was a city of great extent 
and splendor ; its merchants were princes, and 
it abounded in wealth, luxury, and wickedness. 

16. On account of its pride and guilt, the 
prophets, in the name of the Lord, pronounced 
against it the most fearful threatenings. After 
a siege of thirteen years it was taken by Ne- 
buchadnezzar, and the city upon the main land 
destroyed. The inhabitants moved their effects 
to the island, and the city again rose to a great 
height of prosperity ; this was taken after a 
most bloody siege by Alexander the Great, and 
destroyed. 

17. No traces of its former magnificence re- 
main, the harbor is blocked up with sand, and 
is only the mooring place of a few fishermen, 
whose huts stand upon the site of this formerly 
wealthy town; thus fulfilling the prophecy, 
" Thou shalt be built no more." Ezek. xxvi, 21. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 119 

part in. 

HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF THE JEWS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE JEWS TO THE CAPTIVITY. 

1. The Jews, called also Hebrews, and Is- 
raelites, are the descendants of the patriarchs, 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were called 
Hebrews from Eber, or Heber, the great-grand- 
son of Shem, from whom Abraham was de- 
scended ; afterward they obtained the name of 
Israelites from Jacob, or Israel ; and on their 
return from captivity in Babylon the term Jews, 
from Judah, the principal tribe, was adopted, 
and has remained in use until the present day. 

2. Abram, or Abraham, was born in Ur, a 
town in Padan-aram, or Mesopotamia, a country 
bordering upon the Euphrates. Although he 
lived among an idolatrous people, he worshiped 
the living God, and was a noted example of 
faith and piety. About 2000 B.C., God se- 
lected him and his descendants to be separated 
from all the nations of the earth, to become a 
chosen nation, who should preserve the wor- 
ship of Jehovah undefiled, and transmit his 
word and ordinances to posterity. 

3. At the command of God he left his native 
land in the East, and journeyed west toward 



120 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Canaan, a country that God promised to his 
descendants. He was at this time seventy- 
five years of age. From this period until his 
death he resided, with the exception of a short 
time spent in Egypt, in different portions of Ca- 
naan ; but chiefly in the southern part, near to 
Hebron. 

4. While dwelling here two sons were born 
to him, Ishmael and Isaac. The former be- 
came the progenitor of the Arabians, turning 
with his descendants from the worship of the 
true God to idolatry ; eventually they became 
converts to Mohammed, the great impostor. 
Isaac was the father of the promised seed. 
Abraham died when one hundred and seventy- 
five years of age, and was buried near Hebron. 

5. Esau, the father of the Edomites, and Ja- 
cob, the father of the twelve patriarchs, were 
the children of Isaac. The sale of Joseph, the 
beloved son of Jacob, by his envious brethren, 
led, in the providence of God, to the removal 
of Jacob and his family into Egypt. This was 
about the year 1706 B. C, when Jacob was 
one hundred and thirty years old. They settled 
in Goshen, on the eastern side of the Nile, 
where Jacob died. 

6. In process of time, after the death of Jo- 
seph, and after his fame had passed away from 
the memory of the Egyptians, a new race of 
kings also having obtained the throne, they 
commenced persecuting and enslaving the He- 
brews, employing them in making brick, and 
building their cities. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 121 

7. At length Moses, a Hebrew, and also an 
adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, was raised 
up by God to deliver them from their bondage. 
In the year 1491 B. C, he led them over the 
Red Sea, dry shod, into the wilderness of Pa- 
ran — a sandy waste stretching between the two 
northern arms of the sea, and extending to the 
southern limit of Canaan. 

8. In this desert are the memorable heights, 
Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb, Mount Hor, and 
Mount Seir. On Sinai the Almighty delivered 
the law to Moses, while the children of Israel 
encamped at its foot. On Hor, Aaron, the bro- 
ther of Moses, was buried. Mount Seir was 
the residence of the children of Esau. 

9. For forty years, in order to prove, instruct, 
and purify his people, the Lord caused them to 
wander about in the desert, according to his 
direction, and dwelling, in the intervals of rest, 
in tents. In the year 1451 B. C, under the 
command of Joshua, Moses being dead, they 
crossed the Jordan on foot, its rapid waters be- 
ing divided for their passage. 

10. The land of Canaan was at this time in- 
habited by numerous powerful tribes. These 
had all become gross idolaters, even making 
their children pass through the fire to the bloody 
Moloch. On account of their exceeding wick- 
edness, and in fulfillment of his promise to 
Abraham, God gave these nations into the hands 
of Israel, and their lands for a possession. 

11. For a period of three hundred and fifty 
years, or until the time of King Saul, the tribes 



122 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

of Israel formed twelve separate republics, each 
one having its own chief and elders. The 
same religion bound them together, and the na- 
tional government was administered by judges 
providentially raised up by the Lord. Of these 
there were fourteen, of whom Joshua was the 
first, and Samuel the last. Among the others 
the most noted were Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, 
and Samson. 

12. Through the earnest desire of the people, 
and at the command of God, in the year 1095 
B. C., Samuel anointed Saul king, and the go- 
vernment was changed into a monarchy. For 
disobedience Saul was set aside from the king- 
dom, and David was anointed in his place. 

13. In the reigns of David and his illustrious 
son Solomon, the kingdom stretched far beyond 
the limits of the land of Israel. It included 
the whole of Syria, extending to the borders of 
Egypt on the south, and to the Euphrates on 
the east. 

14. From the spoils of numerous conquered 
nations, David left his son an immense amount 
of treasure, with which to build a temple to the 
Lord in Jerusalem. This was the period of 
the highest glory enjoyed by this nation. Kings 
and queens, attracted by the wisdom and mag- 
nificence of Solomon, came from distant nations 
to pay their respects and offer their richest 
gifts. In the year 1003 B. C. the stupendous 
and splendid temple was finished, and dedicated 
by a solemn festival to the worship of Jehovah. 

15. Shortly after the death of Solomon, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 123 

through the injudicious conduct of Rehoboam 
his son, ten of the tribes of Israel separated 
from Judah and Benjamin. The latter were 
styled the kingdom of Judah, the former the 
kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam being chosen the 
first king of Israel. A continued civil war was 
carried on between these two divisions of the 
children of Israel. 

16. The kingdom of Israel lasted two hun- 
dred and fifty-three years, being ruled by nine- 
teen successive idolatrous and wicked kings. 
They were then conquered by Shalmaneser, 
king of Assyria, and carried into captivity, seven 
hundred and twenty-nine years before Christ. 
They never returned in their national capacity, 
and are now spoken of as the lost ten tribes of 
Israel. 

17. The kingdom of Judah continued in an in- 
dependent state for three hundred and eighty-six 
years after the division, or until the year 588 
B. C. At this time Jerusalem was taken by 
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon ; the city 
dismantled, and the inhabitants carried away as 
captives into Chaldea. In the company of the 
captives were Daniel and the three princes, 
who, for their faithful adherence to the worship 
of the true God, were cast into the burning fur- 
nace. 



124 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL, 



CHAPTER It 

EISTORY OF THE JEWS FROM THE CAPTIVITY 
UNTIL THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. 

1. For seventy years the Jews remained in 
captivity in Chaldea, until the power of Baby- 
lon was humbled by the Persian Cyrus, when 
permission was given to them to rebuild their 
city and temple, and the plundered sacred ves- 
sels were returned. The first company of ex- 
iles went up from Babylon in the year 515 B. C, 
under the command of Zerubbabel, one of the 
princes of the captivity, attended by the prophet 
Ezra. 

2. The foundations of the second temple were 
laid, and the work of rebuilding it and the di- 
lapidated city was engaged in with much spirit. 
A stop was soon put to these labors, however, 
through the false representations of the Samari- 
tans — the inveterate enemies of the Jews — to 
the successor of Cyrus. 

3. In the second or third year of Darius Hys- 
taspes, called in the Scriptures simply Darius, 
the work was again nobly forwarded by this 
prince, despite the malice of foes. Ezra vi. 
The city and the walls, however, remained in 
a deplorable state, until the twentieth year of 
the reign of Artaxerxes, when Nehemiah, his 
cup-bearer, was commissioned, in answer to his 
earnest solicitations, to build them up. 

4. The devoted Jew cheerfully and bravely 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 125 

undertook the task ; and, though beset on all 
sides by his enemies, with their swords girt 
about them, he and his undaunted followers 
raised up the broken portions of the wall, and 
rebuilt the waste places of the city. Neh. iv, 
16-18. From this time, until the Persian em- 
pire was destroyed by Alexander, Jerusalem 
remained tributary to it, under the local juris- 
diction of its high priests. 

5. While Alexander was engaged in the 
siege of Tyre, he sent to Jerusalem for supplies 
for his army. The high priest refused them, on 
the grounds of his allegiance to Persia. Exas- 
perated at this denial, Alexander, as soon as he 
had completed the subjugation of Tyre, marched 
against the holy city. In the greatest conster- 
nation, the high priest, with all the people, of- 
fered sacrifices, and made supplications to God 
for deliverance. In a dream, according to Jo- 
sephus, the high priest was assured of safety ; 
commanded to open the gates ; and clothed in 
his pontifical robes, with the priests in their 
sacred vestments, and the people clothed in 
white, they were to go forth to meet the con- 
queror. 

6. Taken by surprise, by this august com- 
pany, Alexander reverently approached and 
worshiped the venerable name of Israel's God, 
inscribed upon the mitre of the high priest. To 
his officers, wondering at the respect he showed 
the Jew, and to the inquiry of Parmenius, one 
of his generals, he answered, " While in Dio, 
in Macedonia, I saw, in a dream, the God of 



126 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the Jews, who appeared in the same form and 
dress as the high priest, encouraging me to 
enter Persia, and assuring me of success. I 
pay my respects, not to the priest, but to his 
God !" 

7. He followed the procession to the city, 
and offered sacrifices. The high priest, while 
he remained in Jerusalem, expounded to him 
the prophecies of Daniel relating to himself; 
where, under the symbol of a " he-goat," his 
conquest of Persia was evidently foretold. 
Filled with admiration at the clearness with 
which his course was specified in the prophe- 
cies, before he left the city, in answer to the 
request of the Jews, he allowed them to live 
according to the laws of their ancestors, and 
remitted the tribute on the seventh year, when, 
by the Mosaic institutes, they were forbidden to 
sow their fields. 

8. At the death of Alexander, Judea fell to 
the kings of Syria, and, during the contests be- 
tween the Egyptian and Syrian kings, often 
changed hands from one to the other, — continu- 
ing in an extremely unhappy, unsettled, and 
corrupted state. At this time the office of high 
priest was often disposed of to the highest bid- 
der. In a battle between the Syrians and 
Egyptians, a report being spread among the 
Jews that Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of 
Syria and bitter oppressor of the Jews, was 
killed, the inhabitants of Jerusalem were filled 
with joy. Enraged by this, upon his return 
from Egypt he took the city by storm, plun- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 127 

dered the temple, and gave up its inhabitants 
to indiscriminate butchery. 

9. Again, about two years after, this cruel 
and beastly tyrant sent one of his officers with 
a large army, who, pretending peaceful inten- 
tions, obtained the confidence of the city, and 
admission within the walls. In an unsuspect- 
ing moment they fell upon the inhabitants, slew 
a great number of people, carried thousands 
captive ; spoiled the city, broke down its walls 
and houses, and introduced strangers iii the 
place of the captive Jews. In addition to this, 
he determined to destroy the Jewish religion. 
He commanded that all the people of his do- 
minion should conform to the Grecian manner 
of worship, forbid sacrifices in the temple, pro- 
hibited the keeping of sacred days, and caused 
swine's flesh and unclean beasts to be offered 
upon the holy altar. 

10. Some of the Jews obeyed, but many 
nobly resisted and fled, or suffered a painful 
martyrdom. Then indeed was " her sanctuary 
laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were 
turned into mourning, her sabbaths into re- 
proach, her honor into contempt." Mace, i, 39. 
It was at this time that Judas Maccabeus, 
with his father and brethren, fled to the wilder- 
ness. Collecting together a large company of 
Jews, he made a successful attack upon the 
Syrian leaders, obtained possession of Jerusa- 
lem, and, after three years' pollution, again 
purified the temple. 

11. His successors, holding the title of high 



128 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

priests, for a long time succeeded in preserving 
Jerusalem from Syrian violence. And when 
Antioehus Sidetes, with a large army, came 
against them, although they could not sustain 
the siege, they obtained very reasonable condi- 
tions upon surrendering. At length they threw 
off the Syrian yoke, and remained independent 
twenty-one years. 

12. A contention having arisen between the 
two sons of the deceased high priest — Hirca- 
nus and his brother Aristobulus — concerning 
the kingdom, an appeal was made to Pompey, 
the Roman general, then in Syria. Before the 
decision was given, Aristobulus, fearing it might 
be unfavorable to himself, hastened back and 
fortified Jerusalem. Pompey, indignant at this 
insult, marched with his army and laid siege to 
the city, and after three months took it by storm, 
slaying twelve thousand of its inhabitants. He 
made Hircanus high priest and prince of the 
Jews. 

13. From this time (about sixty-five years 
before Christ) Judea remained a Roman pro- 
vince. Pompey had destroyed the walls, but 
they were again rebuilt at the command of 
Caesar, (who had overcome and succeeded 
Pompey in the Roman empire,) under the di- 
rection of Antipater, an Idumean, who was ap- 
pointed governor of Judea. Antipater was suc- 
ceeded in his office by his more memorable 
son, Herod the Great, who eventually received 
the title of king, and reigned, in state, over the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 129 

province of Judea, still acknowledging the su- 
premacy of Rome. 

14. The sceptre had now, indeed, departed 
from Judah, and the lawgiver from between 
her feet, a stranger wore her sacred crown, a 
foreign empire swayed its sceptre over her : 
the fullness of time had come, and in the event- 
ful reign of the cruel Idumean, the Saviour of 
the world was born. 

15. During the reign of this monarch Jeru- 
salem was much enlarged and beautified. He 
built a splendid palace for himself, a magnifi- 
cent theatre, and towering citadels upon the 
walls. But the most stupendous work of Herod 
was the taking down and reconstructing of the 
temple. For nine years he employed eighty 
thousand workmen upon this vast undertaking, 
and even after this the Jews continued to orna- 
ment it ; so that there was nothing inconsistent 
in their asserting that forty and six years had 
the temple been in building. John ii, 20. 

16. The whole of the temple, with its courts, 
formed a square of half a mile in circumference. 
The sanctuary, or holy of holies, according to 
Josephus, was the most dazzling object that the 
eye ever beheld, being covered on every side 
with gold. In this building were several stones, 
about sixty-five feet in length, eight in height, 
and nine in breadth. No wonder then that the 
disciples, in view of this, exclaimed, " Master, 
see what manner of stones, and what buildings 
are here !" Mark xiii, 1. And how improbable 

9 



130 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

must that wonderful prediction of the Saviour 
have appeared : " There shall not be left one 
stone upon another that shall not be thrown 
down !" And yet how closely and literally has 
this been fulfilled ! 



CHAPTER III. 

RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL SECTS OF THE 
JEWS. 

1. A short account of the Jewish sects will 
serve to throw additional light upon the study 
of the New Testament. While our Saviour 
was upon the earth the Jews were divided into 
certain sects, differing widely from each other 
in their religious opinions and habits. 

2. I. The Pharisees — a numerous and dis- 
tinguished sect, that arose about one hundred 
and fifty years before the advent of Christ. 
They derived their name from the Hebrew 
word Pharash, which signifies to set apart, or 
to separate, because they separated themselves 
from the rest of their countrymen, and professed 
a peculiar strictness in religion. 

3. On account of their apparent sanctity they 
rendered themselves extremely popular among 
the people, and on account of this influence were 
feared by the great, and obtained the highest 
offices in the state and priesthood. They had 
become exceedingly proud and ostentatious in 
our Saviour's time, seeking the corner of the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 131 

streets, and the presence of the multitude, for 
the performance of their worship. 

4. In addition to the law of Moses they held 
to certain traditions which they pretended were 
handed down by the elders or teachers from 
Moses, called the unwritten law, which they con- 
sidered fully as binding, and even more sacred, 
than the written law of God. Thus they scru- 
pulously washed before and after their meals, 
and fasted twice a week — Thursday, when 
they supposed Moses ascended Mount Sinai, 
and Monday, when he descended ; they wore 
broad phylacteries, or pieces of parchment, 
upon which were inscribed portions of the law, 
and enlarged the fringes or borders of their 
garments. 

5. Some of these traditions were arrayed 
against the spirit of the written law, and 
made it of none effect. Although they made 
great pretensions to purity and virtue, offered 
long prayers with a loud voice, fasted with a 
demure countenance, and paid their tithes to 
the last farthing ; still many of them were ex- 
ceedingly lax in their morals, and very corrupt 
in their hearts. For this hypocrisy they were 
often and deservedly rebuked by our Lord. 

6. II. The Sadducees. This was another 
sect, composed of some of the most opulent 
Jews, though not so large, or so much respected, 
as the Pharisees. They are supposed to have 
received their name from Sadoc, who flourished 
about two hundred and sixty years before the 
Christian era. He was the pupil of Antigonus 



132 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Sochaeus, president of the sanhedrim, who 
taught the duty of serving God disinterestedly, 
without hope of reward or fear of punishment. 
Sadoc, not understanding, or willfully misrepre- 
senting, the doctrines of his master, drew the 
inference that there was no future state of 
rewards and punishments, and upon this belief 
founded this sect. 

7. The other doctrines that they held in 
connection with this were, that there was no 
resurrection, no overruling Providence, no an- 
gel or spirit, and they rejected the traditions of 
the elders. This sect spread principally among 
the rich — whose whole interests were in this 
world, and who cared to know little, and only 
to have their fears allayed, concerning another 
world ; and the young, whose light and giddy 
minds are eager to embrace a doctrine offering 
so wide a license. 

8. III. The Essenes. This was an ancient 
sect which had spread throughout Syria, Egypt, 
and the neighboring countries. They were the 
Jewish hermits. They maintained that religion 
consisted wholly in contemplation and silence. 
Some of them passed their lives in a state of 
celibacy, and the strictest seclusion, while some 
were married, and lived in society, and were 
distinguished for their simple and innocent 
lives. 

9. Both classes were very abstemious, ex- 
emplary in their moral deportment, averse to 
profane swearing, and rigid in their observance 
of the sabbath. They believed the soul im- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 133 

mortal, but not in the resurrection of the body ; 
and they esteemed the law as allegorical, hav- 
ing a spiritual or mystical meaning. 

10. Christ censured all the other prominent 
sects among the Jews for their vices, yet he 
never spoke of the Essenes, and it is supposed 
that they escaped animadversion on account of 
the purity of their lives, their honesty, sincerity, 
and lack of hypocrisy. 

11. IV. The scribes and lawyers are often 
mentioned in connection with the foregoing 
sects, although, strictly speaking, they did not 
form a distinct sect, but belonged to all the others. 
They were the learned men, and received great 
deference on that account. They were skillful 
in expounding the law, and upon the sabbath 
days " they sat in Moses's seat " and instructed 
the people. 

12. They received their name from their first 
employment — transcribing the law ; but in pro- 
gress of time, from their necessary acquaintance 
with the Scriptures, they became its final ex- 
positors. The term lawyer, very probably, was 
of the same import as scribe, although some 
suppose that the scribes taught in public, while 
the lawyers taught in private in the schools. 

13. V. The Samaritans. When the ten 
tribes were removed by Shalmaneser the Assy- 
rian into captivity, he filled their empty cities 
with a mixed multitude brought from the East, 
and from the name of the country they were 
called Samaritans. The unsettled state of the 
country exposing it to the ravages of lions, the 



134 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

idolatrous people thinking that this was permit- 
ted on account of their not worshiping the God 
of the land, sent to the king of Assyria for an 
Israelitish priest to " teach them the manner of 
the God of the land." The request was granted. 
The priest came, probably bringing with him 
the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. So 
this people began to " fear the Lord," and yet 
continued still " to serve their own gods," 
(2 Kings xvii,) uniting their heathen supersti- 
tions with Jewish ceremonies. 

14. When the Jews returned under Zerub- 
babel from their exile, the Samaritans desired 
to unite with them, and assist them in building 
the temple. This the Jews rejected with scorn, 
and from that time the most bitter enmity ex- 
isted between them. 

15. Samaria received all those that were 
disaffected, and those expelled on account of 
idolatry from Jerusalem. Manasseh, the son of 
Jehoida the high priest, according to Josephus, 
having married the daughter of Sanballat, the 
Persian governor of Samaria, and refusing to 
give up his heathen wife, was expelled from 
Judea, and his father-in-law built him a temple 
upon Mount Gerizim ; and from that time this 
became the consecrated place of worship — their 
Mount Zion — andhas continuedso until this day, 
although their temple was destroyed before the 
time of Christ by the Jews under Hyrcanus. 

16. So perfect was the hatred between these 
people, in the days of our Lord, that they had 
no dealings together, not even so much as 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 135 

speaking to one another. They receive the 
five books of Moses, although they have made 
some alterations in their copy of it, and therefore 
most of their religious rites are similar to those 
of the Jews. 

17. They still most strictly observe the 
seventh day, or Saturday, not even kindling a 
fire. They have prayers in their houses 
Friday evening, and public prayers — morning, 
noon, and evening — in their synagogue on Sat- 
urday. Four times a year they still go up to 
Mount Gerizim to attend their great festivals — 
the Passover, the day of Pentecost, the Feast of 
Tabernacles, and the great day of Atonement. 
About one hundred and fifty of them remain in 
Sychar at the foot of Mount Gerizim, still cling- 
ing to their sacred heights, their religious cere- 
monies, and their hatred of the Jews. 

18. In addition to these large sects there 
were the Herodians, rather a political than a 
religious sect. They were noted for their 
attachment to Herod, their sympathy in his 
plans, and for their embracing many of the 
idolatrous practices of the Romans ; this is sup- 
posed to be the " leaven of Herod," against 
which Christ warned his disciples. 

19. There was also a seditionary sect called 
Galileans, which arose about the time of Christ's 
birth, with one Judas of Upper Galilee as a 
leader. They opposed the Roman power, 
rising into an insurrection at the time of the 
taking of the census preparatory to taxing. 
The sedition was quelled, many of them being 



136 BIBLE SCHOLAE'S MANUAL. 

destroyed. Pilate, at his trial, inquired if Christ 
was from Galilee, probably that he might make 
the insurrectionary character of this people a 
subject of accusation against him, or a reason 
for acceding to the importunate cry of the Jews 
to " crucify him." 



CHAPTER IV. 

SACRED AND CIVIL OFFICES. 

1 . We shall next direct our attention to the 
sacred and civil officers and classes among the 
Jews, at the time of the Saviour. 

1. The first we shall notice were the Le- 
vites. 

2. The tribe of Levi was chosen to wait 
upon the worship in the tabernacle and in the 
temple, and the members of this tribe were 
afterward termed Levites. Before the build- 
ing of the temple, as the tabernacle was 
movable, they were the bearers of it and of 
the sacred vessels, and attendants upon the 
priests. 

3. After the temple was completed, they 
were not only employed about its precincts, but 
dispersed throughout the whole country, em- 
ployed in offices of state, as well as of the temple. 
David made six thousand of them officers and 
judges. 1 Chron. xxxiii, 4. They were also the 
instructors of the people, and kept the public 
records and genealogies. In the temple they 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 137 

were the treasurers ; and prepared the shew- 
bread arid unleavened cakes for the morning 
and evening service. Others were the singers. 

4. In David's time they numbered over 
thirty-eight thousand, twenty-four thousand of 
whom were appointed to attend constantly upon 
the temple, being divided into twenty-four 
courses like the priests, and one thousand serving 
at a time for a week ; six thousand were made 
officers and judges, four thousand porters, and 
four thousand singers. They were to be twenty- 
five years of age when they entered, by conse- 
cration, into their office. They were supported 
by tithes. Besides, forty-eight cities, with their 
fields, pastures, and gardens, were given to them 
for their habitation. While they were at the 
temple they subsisted upon provisions kept in 
store there, and the daily offerings. 

5. II. The priests. Of the tribe of Levi, 
the family of Aaron was selected to receive 
more especial honor: they bore the title 
and discharged the important duties of the 
priest. They served immediately at the altar, 
prepared the victims, and offered the sacrifices. 

6. Like the Levites, the priests were divided 
by David into twenty-four classes. One of 
these classes went up every week, (commenc- 
ing sabbath morning,) in its turn, to Jerusalem, 
to attend upon the duties of the sacerdotal 
order. They drew lots for the different offices 
to be performed ; as Zacharias, the father of 
John the Baptist, drew the duty of burning in- 
cense before God. Some of the other duties 



138 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

were to continue the fire upon the altar of 
burnt sacrifices; to keep the lamps burning 
upon the golden candlesticks in the sanctuary ; 
baking the shew-bread, and offering it upon 
the golden altar, changing it every morning. 

7. Every day, morning and evening, one 
priest, whose lot it was, brought into the sanc- 
tuary a smoking censer of incense, which he 
set upon a golden table, and which was only to 
be kindled with coals taken from the altar of 
burnt sacrifice. 

8. This beautiful ceremony, significant of 
prayer, is worthy of remark. While the in- 
cense ascended, the priest and people without 
confessed and prayed ; the fragrant cloud as- 
cending was a symbolical assurance of the 
complacency with which God received their 
supplications. The fire producing acceptable 
incense, was kindled by the coals from the altar, 
where the lamb, the symbol of our Lord, was 
offered, and which consequently had been 
sprinkled with its blood. 

9. In like manner, our prayer to be accepta- 
ble must always be offered up in the name and 
through the merits of the Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world. 

10. Of the Levitical cities, thirteen were 
assigned to the priests, in addition to which 
they received tithes, and were allotted portions 
of the daily offerings. 

11. III. Over all the priests was placed 
the high priest, whose office was esteemed 
peculiarly dignified, and whose influence and 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 139 

power in the Jewish community were very 
great. To him alone was it permitted to enter 
the holy of holies, in the temple, and he had 
the supreme administration of sacred things. 

12. He was also the president of the san- 
hedrim, and held the next rank to the king. 
The office was at first held for life, descending 
from the father to the eldest son. After the 
Assyrian captivity this order was interrupted. 
The princes of the Maccabeean family held it, 
together with the title of king. During, and 
after our Saviour's time, the right of succession 
and election was entirely disregarded, and the 
office was often sold to the highest bidder — to 
persons whose age, learning, and habits, entirely 
unfitted them for its solemn duties. 

13. The dress of the ordinary priest was in 
nothing peculiar from others, except when he 
was engaged in the services of the altar. Of 
the garments then worn, these four kinds are 
enumerated in Exodus and Leviticus. (1 .) Linen 
drawers. (2.) A linen tunic, which reached 
down to the ancles, fitting closely to the body, 
the sleeves being drawn tightly round the arms : 
it was without seam, and woven from the top 
throughout. Such a one was worn by Christ, 
for which the soldiers cast lots. (3.) A girdle. 
(4.) A tiara, which was originally a kind of 
pointed bonnet or turban, made of several rolls 
of linen cloth twisted round the head. 

14. The high priest in addition to these had 
four peculiar to himself. (1.) The coat or robe 
of the ephod, which was made of blue wool ; 



140 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

on its hem there were seventy-two golden bells, 
separated from one another by as many artifi- 
cial pomegranates. (2.) The ephod, a vest 
which was fastened on the shoulders, the hinder 
part reaching down to the heels, while the fore 
part descended only a little below the waist. 
It was of fine twisted linen, splendidly wrought 
with gold and purple ; to each of the shoulder 
straps was fastened a precious stone, on which 
was engraved the names of the twelve tribes of 
Israel. (3.) The breastplate of judgment, or 
oracle, a piece of cloth doubled, one span square, 
and of similar texture and workmanship with 
the ephod ; on it were set twelve precious stones, 
containing the engraved names of the twelve 
sons of Jacob, and also the words TJrim and 
Thummim, signifying light and perfection. 

15. Concerning the nature of this learned 
men are not agreed. Thus much we know, 
that when the high priest went to ask counsel 
of Jehovah, he arrayed himself, by divine com- 
mand, with this breastplate. (4.) Lastly, the 
high priests wore a plate of pure gold upon 
their foreheads, upon which was engraved, 
Holiness unto the Lord. This plate was called 
the crown ; and was fastened to the turban by 
a blue ribbon. 

16. With these garments he must be arrayed 
when he- ministered in the temple ; at other 
times he wore the ordinary dress of the priests. 
(Home, vol. iii, pp. 261-274.) 

17. The high priest, who appeared before 
God in behalf of the whole people, offering 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 141 

sacrifices, making intercessions, and bestowing 
his blessings, was a type of Christ, our great 
High Priest, who, having offered himself once 
for all as a sacrifice for sin, liveth evermore to 
make intercession, and blesses his people with 
the rich benedictions of his Spirit. 



CHAPTER V. 

SACRED PLACES. 

1. We now come to notice the sacred places 
among the Jews. And first of all, and pre- 
eminent in magnificence and sanctity, was 

1. The Temple. 

2. This edifice took the place of the taber- 
nacle, and was first erected by Solomon. After 
its destruction it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, and 
afterward greatly beautified by Herod. 

3. The temple proper, comprising the holy 
of holies, the sanctuary, and the portico, formed 
but a small portion of the prodigious edifice that 
covered Mount Moriah ; the remainder, con- 
sisting of spacious courts formed by successive 
squares of high porticos or cloisters, were filled 
with apartments occupied by the numerous 
priests and Levites engaged about the temples, 
and also by the council chamber and rooms of 
the sanhedrim. 

4. The whole of this vast building covered a 
square of half a mile in circumference. This 
building was entered by nine gates thickly 



142 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

coated with gold and silver. One of these 
gates, however, was formed of Corinthian brass, 
(the most precious metal in ancient times,) and 
was fifty cubits high ; its doors were covered 
with costly ornaments of gold and silver, and it 
was called the " Beautiful." Here it was that 
Peter and John healed the lame man. 

5. The outer court, formed by the cloisters, 
was called the court of the Gentiles, because 
strangers and foreigners were permitted to enter 
here, but were suffered to go no further. The 
Jews did not worship here, but, out of contempt 
to the Gentiles, sold here their animals for 
sacrifice, and erected their stands for money- 
changing. This court our Lord cleansed twice, 
by driving out those who were making the house 
of God a place of merchandise. 

6. The next was the court of the Israelites, 
divided into two parts, the outer being for the 
women and the inner for the men, to which 
was an ascent of fifteen steps. In these courts 
the Jews prayed apart by themselves, while the 
priests offered incense, as in the days of 
Zacharias. 

7. The next court was that of the priests. 
Here was the altar of burnt offering. None but 
priests were permitted to enter it. From this 
court twelve steps ascended to the temple itself, 
consisting first of the portico, or porch, where 
the rich gifts of different kings were de- 
posited ; it was entered by lifting a costly Baby- 
lonian veil, of many colors. 

8. Next came the sanctuary. This was 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 143 

separated from the most holy place by a double 
veil, which is supposed to have been the veil 
rent at the time of Christ's crucifixion. The 
holy of holies was twenty cubits (about thirty- 
six feet) square. No person but the high priest 
was allowed to enter here, and he but once a 
year, upon the great day of atonement. 

9. It was covered upon every side with plates 
of gold, and when the sun shone upon it, it had 
such a dazzling lustre that the spectator must 
needs remove his eye. At a distance it appear- 
ed to a stranger like a mountain covered with 
snow : for where it was not plated it was ex- 
tremely white and glistening. 

10. The daily service in the temple was as 
follows : The morning service. At day dawn, 
after bathing in their rooms, the priests awaited 
the arrival of the chief priest or president ; he 
coming, they divided into two companies, bear- 
ing torches, and, going in different directions, 
they made a circuit of the temple. The lots 
were then cast for the different offices of the 
altar. The chosen priest with a silver shovel 
removed the ashes, and the others assisted in 
cleansing the altar, and renewing the fires. 

11. The next duty was to cast lots for the 
thirteen particular offices connected with the 
offering of the sacrifice, which being settled, 
the president ordered one of them to bring the 
Lamb for the morning sacrifice. While the 
priests on this duty were engaged in bringing 
and examining the victim, those who carried 
the keys were opening the seven gates of the 



144 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

court of Israel, and the two doors that separated 
between the porch and the holy place. When 
the last of the seven gates was opened the 
silver trumpets were blown, to call the Levites 
to their desks for the music. At this moment 
the sacrifice was killed, cut in pieces, and 
carried to the top of the altar, where it was 
salted and left, while the priests retired to join 
in prayer. During this time the two priests, 
appointed to trim the lamps and cleanse the 
altar of incense, were attending to their duties 
in the holy place. 

12. After the conclusion of their prayers, 
and the rehearsal of the ten commandments and 
their phylacteries, the priests again cast lots, to 
choose two to offer incense on the golden altar, 
and another to lay the pieces of the sacrifice 
on the brazen altar. The two chosen to 
offer incense proceeded to the holy place, 
striking the great bell of the temple, to warn 
the absent priests to come to worship, the 
Levites to come to sing, and the stationary 
men, who represented the Jewish people, to 
take their places. The priest, who carried the 
censer of coals, which had been taken from one 
of the three fires on "the great altar, after kin- 
dling the fire on the incense altar, worshiped 
and came out into the porch, leaving the 
priest who had the incense alone in the holy 
place. 

13. As soon as the signal was given by the 
president, the incense was kindled, the holy 
place was filled with perfume, and the congre- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 145 

gation without joined in the prayers. These 
being ended, the priest, whose lot it was, threw 
the pieces of the sacrifice into the fire, on the 
great altar, placing them in their natural position. 
The four priests who had been in the holy 
place now appeared upon the steps that led to 
the porch, and, extending their arms, one of 
them pronounced a solemn blessing. It was 
the lot of Zacharias to burn incense when 
Gabriel appeared to him in the holy place, and 
his delay in coming out to bless the people ex- 
cited their anxieties. 

14. After this the meat offering was offered, 
and then the drink offering, at the conclusion of 
which the Levites commenced a song of praise. 
At every pause in the hymn the trumpet sound- 
ed, and the people worshiped. 

15. During the middle of the day the priests 
offered the voluntary offerings brought by any 
of the Israelites. The evening service differed 
little from the morning, as just described. 

16. II. The Synagogues. These were 
places where the Jews were accustomed to 
assemble for prayer, and to hear the Scriptures 
read and expounded. Sacrifices could not be 
offered in any other place besides Jerusalem, 
but the other exercises of religion were not 
restricted to any place. 

17. During the captivity, being deprived of 
the temple service, they were accustomed to 
collect around some prophet or pious man, 
who taught them, and read from the sacred 
books. Ezek. xiv, 1 ; xx, I Their meetings 

10 



146 BIBLE SCHOLARS MANUAL. 

eventually assumed a regular order, and such 
was probably the origin of synagogues. 

18. No invariable form was followed in the 
construction of these buildings. They were 
distinguished from the proseuchae, or places of 
prayer, by their being covered. The volun- 
tary building of them, for the benefit of wor- 
shipers, was esteemed a great mark of piety. 
Each of them had an altar, or raised table, upon 
which the book of the law was spread, and upon 
the east side was a chest in which, after the 
reading, the book was preserved. 

19. The people faced the altar and the elders, 
who sat upon elevated seats near the ark : 
these were termed the chief seats in the syna- 
gogue. The females sat in a gallery, inclosed 
with lattices, separated from the men, so that 
they could hear without being exposed. 

20. To preserve the order and integrity of 
their worship, in every synagogue there were 
certain officers. These were: (1.) The ruler 
of the synagogue. Oftentimes there were 
several of these, whose duty it was to regulate 
its concerns, and give permission to persons to 
preach. They were men advanced in age, and 
celebrated for their learning and probity. They 
were the magistrates in petty cases, in allusion 
to which Christ forewarned his disciples, that 
they should be scourged in the synagogues. 

21. (2.) Next was the officer styled the 
angel of the church, whose duty it was to offer 
public prayers : he was thus called, because, as 
their messenger, he spoke to God for them. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 147 

(3.) The officer styled the minister, who had 
the charge of the sacred books. 

22. The exercises in the synagogue were : 
(1.) Prayer, according to prescribed forms. 
(2.) Reading of the Scriptures ; which were 
divided into three parts, and a portion read from 
each, viz. : The law, or the five books of Mo- 
ses ; the prophets, embracing the prophetical 
portions of the Scriptures, and the holy writings, 
or the remainder after this division. (3.) The 
explanation of the scriptures read, and preach- 
ing from them to the people : the first was 
performed during the reading, the latter at its 
close. 

23. Members of the synagogue were called 
out to read the set portion of the Scriptures. 
To such a one the book, unrolled to the place, 
was handed by the minister. The lesson of 
the day was read standing, out of respect to the 
word of God. The lesson being finished, the 
book was handed to the minister, and the reader 
or some other person, sitting, instructed and ex- 
horted the people from the passage. Syna- 
gogue worship was held twice a week besides 
the sabbath — Monday and Thursday. 



148 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER VI. 

SACRED SEA SONS. 

1 . The sacred days and seasons among the 
Jews were: (I.) The Sabbath. This term, 
though sometimes applied to other consecrated 
days in the Old Testament, ordinarily refers to 
the seventh day of the week, set apart by the 
Almighty for his own worship, and an obedi- 
ence to which is solemnly commanded in the 
decalogue, or ten commandments. 

2. This day the Jews, except when they had 
become exceedingly depraved, kept with great 
strictness, upon what now answers to our Sat- 
urday, the day having been changed to the first 
of the week to commemorate the resurrection 
of our glorious Redeemer. 

3. It commenced at sunset upon Friday, and 
closed at sunset the succeeding day ; hence 
Friday, upon which everything necessary for 
the sabbath was prepared, was called the u pre- 
paration day." The Jews did not even kindle 
a fire upon this day, but spent it in religious 
exercises and refreshing rest. Two additional 
lambs were added to the morning and evening 
burnt offerings, the shew-bread was changed in 
the temple, and the sacred writings were read 
and expounded in the synagogues, accompanied 
with prayer. 

4. (II.) The Passover. Besides the sabbath, 
there were instituted three great annual festi- 



BIBLE S€HOLAR'S MANUAL. 149 

vals, to attend which all the males in the various 
tribes, of suitable age, were commanded to come 
up to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord. 

5. The passover was the first and most cele- 
brated. It was instituted the night before they 
left Egypt, in commemoration of their signal 
deliverance, when the first-born of all the Egyp- 
tians were slain, and the angel passed over the 
houses of the Hebrews, their door-posts being 
sprinkled with the blood of a lamb killed the 
evening before, and called the paschal lamb. 

6. This festival was also called the feast of 
unleavened bread, because it was unlawful to 
use leaven during the days that this feast con- 
tinued. During this and the other feasts it was 
customary for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to 
give the free use of their dwellings and furni- 
ture to the strangers that came from all parts to 
attend upon them. Thus our Lord sent word 
to an apparent stranger that he should keep the 
feast in his house. 

7. The passover commenced upon the even- 
ing of the 14th day of the month Nisan, (an- 
swering to our March,) when the paschal lamb, 
or a kid, a male without blemish, was eaten. 
Between three P. M. and sunset, or the ninth and 
eleventh hours, the master or head of the family 
taking his lamb to the court of the temple, slew 
him, the blood being received by the attending 
priest, and handed from one priest to another 
until the nearest priest sprinkled it upon the 
bottom of the altar. The fat also was taken off 
and consumed. 



150 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

8. The owner carried the remainder to his 
own house, where it was roasted whole and 
eaten with unleavened bread, to call to mind 
their hasty departure from Egypt, and bitter 
herbs, significant of their sufferings in bondage. 
This feast lasted seven days, the first and the 
last being more peculiarly solemn. A neglect 
of this feast was punished with death. 

9. The paschal lamb was a most illustrious 
type of Christ, who is styled emphatically "our 
Passover," and the " Lamb of God" " without 
spot," and is received as a propitiation for our 
sin, more efficacious than the " blood of sprink- 
ling," by virtue of which, when received by 
faith, we are saved from merited punish- 
ment. 

10. (III.) The Feast of Pentecost, so called 
from beginning the fiftieth day after the last of 
unleavened bread ; called also the feast of 
weeks, because it was celebrated seven weeks, 
or a week of weeks, after the first day of the 
passover. It was called the feast of harvest, 
and the day of first-fruits, because upon this 
day the Jews offered thanksgivings to God for 
the bounties of the harvest, and presented their 
first fruits in bread baked of new corn. 

11. Upon this day also was commemorated 
the giving of the law, and great multitudes of 
Jews from all parts of the world came up to Je- 
rusalem upon so interesting an occasion. It 
was at such a time that Peter preached his 
memorable sermon, and the Spirit was poured 
out in a remarkable manner, three thousand 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 151 

being converted in one day. This feast con- 
tinued a week. 

12. (IV.) The Feast of Tabernacles. This 
feast also continued a week. It was instituted 
to commemorate the dwelling of the Israelites 
in tents while they wandered in the desert. It 
is likewise called the feast of ingathering, be- 
ing celebrated at the end of harvest. Thanks 
were returned for the past, and continued bless- 
ings implored for the future, much like our 
thanksgiving-day. 

13. During this feast they left their houses 
and dwelt in tents or booths. They carried 
about branches of the palm, myrtle, and olive- 
trees, singing, " Hosanna, save, I beseech 
thee !" They walked also in procession around 
the altar with their branches in their hands, 
singing Hosanna, while the trumpets sounded, 
and on the seventh day they did this seven 
times. 

14. They also poured out for a libation, upon 
the altar, water drawn from the pool of Siloam. 
Christ probably alluded to this when, upon the 
great day of the feast, he cried, saying, " If any 
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." 



152 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER VII. 

MARRIAGE AND FUNERAL RITES. 

1. Marriage Rites. In the earliest ages 
marriage was contracted with little ceremony. 
The young man himself, sometimes his father, 
or a trusty servant, (as in the case of Abraham's 
obtaining a wife for Isaac, when Eliezer was 
sent,) made application to the father of the 
maiden for his daughter. If the request was 
granted, and the young woman acceded to it, 
without any further delay she became the wife 
of the man who had made the proposals. 

2. The woman received no portion in those 
days from her relatives ; on the contrary, she 
was purchased by her husband, and his presents 
to the maiden's relatives were called her dowry. 
To this day the Arabian suitor thus purchases 
his wife for such a number of sheep, camels, 
and horses, as his rank and wealth, and that of 
the young woman, make becoming or neces- 
sary. 

3. When the man was too poor to give the 
dowry, he offered an equivalent, as did Jacob 
to Laban, of an agreed number of years' ser- 
vice. In later times the marriage contract 
was made in the house of the woman's father, 
before the elders and governors of the city. 

4. The manner of contracting or espousal 
was various. Sometimes the man placed a 
piece of money in the woman's hand before 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 153 

witnesses, and said, " Be thou espoused to me 
according to the law of Moses and Israel," or 
it was done in writing. 

5. A Jewish virgin thus betrothed or espoused, 
was considered as a lawful wife, and could not 
be put away without a bill of divorce, and if 
she proved faithless she was punished as an 
adulteress. Knowing this, we shall be prepared 
to understand the early history of the Saviour, 
as connected with his virgin mother, who was 
in this manner espoused to Joseph. 

6. Ten or twelve months commonly inter- 
vened between the espousal and the marriage, 
which time was spent by the betrothed wife 
with her parents, preparing nuptial ornaments, 
and here the bridegroom was at liberty to visit 
her, during this period, until eight days before 
the marriage. At this time neither of the par- 
ties left their abode, but persons of the same 
age visited the bridegroom, and made merry 
with him. To this our Lord makes allusion 
when he says, " Can the children of the bride- 
chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is 
with them?" Matt, ix, 15. 

7. The marriage ceremony was ordinarily 
performed in a garden, or in the open air : the 
bride being placed under a canopy, supported 
by four youths, and adorned according to their 
rank, and all the company crying out, " Blessed 
be he that cometh !" Anciently, at the con- 
clusion of this, it was customary for the parents 
and kindred, as did Bethuel and Laban, and their 
families, to pray for a blessing upon the parties. 



154 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

After the benedictions the bride is conducted 
with great pomp to the house of her hus- 
band. 

8. The procession, under the direction of the 
paranymph, or friend of the bridegroom, whose 
duty it was to attend to all the arrangements, 
set off ordinarily in the evening. The young 
companions of the bride attended her with songs 
and music from instruments, under the light of 
blazing torches. In the mean time another 
company, consisting of the friends of the bride- 
groom, are waiting at the bridegroom's house, 
ready at the first notice of their approach to go 
forth and meet them. They join themselves to 
the procession and move forward to the house, 
where an entertainment is provided', and the 
remainder of the evening is spent in cheerful 
participation of the marriage supper. 

9. If the circumstances of the bridegroom 
permitted it, wedding garments were provided 
for all the guests, and were hung in an ante- 
chamber for them to put on, before entering 
the apartment where the marriage festival was 
celebrated. 

10. To refuse or to neglect putting on this 
wedding garment was esteemed a great insult to 
the bridegroom, as he had gratuitously provided 
them, and placed them where they could not 
but be seen. Christ has made use of this cus- 
tom in the solemn parable of the wedding gar- 
ment, where he addresses the ungrateful and 
guilty man, who had failed to comply with the 
general custom and the master's express desire, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 155 

" Friend, how earnest thou in hither, not having 
a wedding garment ? and he was speechless." 

11. "At a marriage," says Mr. Ward, "the 
procession of which I saw some years ago, the 
bridegroom came from a distance, and the bride 
lived at Serampore. After waiting two or 
three hours, at length, near midnight, it was 
announced, as if in the very words of Scripture, 
' Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to 
meet him.' All the persons employed now lit 
their lamps, and ran with them in their hands 
to fill up their stations in the procession : some 
of them had lost their lights, and were unpre- 
pared, but it was too late to seek others then, 
and the cavalcade moved forward to the house 
of the bride, at which place the company enter- 
ed a large and splendidly illuminated area, be- 
fore the house, covered with an awning, where 
great multitudes of friends, dressed in their best 
apparel, were seated upon mats. The bride- 
groom was carried in the arms of a friend, and 
placed in a superb seat in the midst of the com- 
pany, where he sat for a short time, and then 
went into the house, the door of which was im- 
mediately shut and guarded. I and others ex- 
postulated with the doorkeepers, but in vain. 
Never was I so struck with our Lord's beautiful 
parable as at this moment : and the door was 
shut." 

12. Funeral Rites. When death had perform- 
ed its sad work upon the bodies of their friends, 
the first duty was to close the eye, and bestow 
the parting kiss. This was the mournful pri- 



156 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

vilege of the nearest relative or dearest friend ; 
this Joseph performed for his venerable father 
Jacob, according to God's promise, " Joseph 
shall put his hands upon thine eyes." 

13. The company assembled then rent their 
garments, as they were wont upon all painful 
occasions. After this, the face was covered, 
which it was not lawful afterward to look upon, 
and the body was bathed and perfumed : thus 
when Tabitha died, whom Peter raised to life, 
it is said they washed her body, and laid it in 
an upper chamber. Acts ix, 37. It was then 
swathed and shrouded in linen cloths, and the 
head was bound up with a napkin. 

14. The body was sometimes embalmed — 
a process for its preservation discovered and 
practiced by the Egyptians. It was as follows 
— the brain was removed, and the cavity of the 
head filled with strong odoriferous mixtures ; 
the bowels also were taken away, and their 
place supplied with myrrh, cassia, and other 
spices. 

15. Forty days it was thus embalmed, and 
then thirty more it lay in nitre, making in all 
seventy days, during which the mourning con- 
tinued. After this it was wrapped in bandages 
of white linen, cemented together with gum, and 
delivered to the friends entire — all the features, 
even the very hair of the eyelids, being pre- 
served, and continuing so for even centuries. 
Thus was the patriarch Jacob embalmed, and 
the " Egyptians mourned for him threescore 
and ten days," or seventy days. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 157 

16. There was a more expeditious kind of 
embalming, in which the body was wrapped 
up with sweet spices and odors. Thus Joseph 
of Arimathea and Nicodemus " took the body 
of Jesus and wrapped it in linen clothes with 
the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." 
John xix, 40. 

17. The common people, as was our Saviour, 
were interred without a coffin, in their grave 
clothes. They were often borne upon a bier, 
somewhat resembling a coffin, to the grave ; as 
was the young man of Nain whom Christ 
raised. 

18. Mourners were hired to wail, and mu- 
sicians to play plaintive airs, immediately upon 
the decease of a relative, and to attend also 
the procession to the grave. Thus was it 
when Christ went to the house of the ruler 
Jairus ; the minstrels and mourners filling the 
house with noise and tumult. A mourning 
feast often followed. Among the Jews their 
funeral services and mourning lasted a week. 

19. Their burial places were outside the 
walls of their cities : most commonly they were 
caves excavated in the side of a mountain, the 
doorway being closed by a heavy stone, as 
was the hewn sepulchre where the blessed 
Saviour was laid. These sepulchres were 
sometimes formed with great care, and ren- 
dered very beautiful without — as were the 
tombs of the kings and prophets. With these 
Christ compared the Pharisees : " beautiful 
without," but within corrupt. 



158 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

SANHEDRIM INNS BOOKS. 

1. The Sanhedrim is generally called the 
council in the New Testament. This institu- 
tion is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and 
was not probably founded until the time of the 
Maccabees. 

2. It was composed of seventy or seventy- 
two members, over whom the priest presided 
as president, assisted by two vice-presidents. 
The members were chosen from among the 
chief priests or heads of the families or courses ; 
the elders, or the head men of the tribes, and 
the learned scribes. These persons were 
noted for their high birth, learning, traditionary 
lore, mature age, competent fortunes, and come- 
ly persons. 

3. They assembled in a rotunda or circular 
room, half without and half within the temple. 
The prince of the council sat upon a throne at 
the upper end of the room, elevated above 
the rest, with a vice-president on each side. 
There were three secretaries, one of whom 
wrote the decisions in favor of the accused, 
another the sentence of the condemned, and 
the third the pleadings of the contending par- 
ties. 

4. It was the supreme court in all civil and 
religious matters. Its decisions were final ; 
from them no appeal could be made. Before 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 159 

this tribunal our Lord appeared to justify his 
healing upon the sabbath day. Stephen was 
condemned to be stoned by this council, and 
Saul commissioned to go down to Damascus 
and imprison all who believed in the crucified 
Jesus. Here was Peter arraigned, and his life 
would have been taken in their rage, had it not 
been for the advice of Gamaliel. 

5. There were other smaller councils besides 
the sanhedrim. These consisted of twenty- 
three persons, who heard and determined minor 
and petty causes. To these different courts 
our Lord alludes when, in his sermon on the 
mount, he says, " But I say unto you that who- 
soever is angry with his brother without a cause 
shall be in danger of the judgment ; and who- 
soever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be 
in danger of the council ; but whosoever shall 
say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell 
fire." 

6. Inns. In the East there are no such 
places of public entertainment as those known 
among us by the name of inns. When a person 
reaches a town, where he has no friends, he 
seeks accommodation in what are called caravan- 
serais or khans, where ordinarily he can stay as 
long as he pleases, without payment, being pro- 
vided only with lodging for himself and beast, 
and with water from a well upon the premises. 

7. The room which he occupies is perfectly 
bare, and therefore every one who travels takes 
with him, on his journey, a small carpet or 
matress of quilted wool or cotton for his bed, 



160 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

using his cloak for covering. His food he 
purchases from a neighboring town, and dresses 
and cooks it in vessels that he bears about with 
him in his baggage. 

8. These khans are built at public expense or 
by private charity, for the accommodation of the 
traveler. Tbey usually present, externally, the 
appearance of a square formed by strong and 
high walls, with a lofty and imposing gate- 
way. Within is a large quadrangle or open 
square, surrounded on all. sides by recesses, 
the back walls of which contain doors leading 
to the small cells or rooms which afford tra- 
velers the accommodation they require. Every 
apartment is thus perfectly detached, consist- 
ing of the room and recess in front. In the 
latter the occupant usually sits till the day has 
declined, and there he often prefers to sleep at 
night. 

9. The floors of these apartments are raised 
two or three feet above the level of the court 
which they surround, upon a bank of earth 
faced with masonry. In the centre is a well 
of water, not the least essential in that sultry 
climate. 

10. Many of these inns have no stables, the 
cattle being accommodated in the open area. 
But those of the better sort have excellent 
stables, in covered avenues, which extend be- 
hind the ranges of the apartments ; that is, be- 
tween the back wall of the interior room and 
the external wall of the khan. The entrance is 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 161 

by a covered passage at one of the comers of 
the quadrangle. 

11. The stable is on a level with the court, 
and consequently below the level of the build- 
ings, by the height of the floor or platform upon 
which they stand. This platform is allowed 
to extend back into the stables, so as to form a 
bench to which the horses' heads are turned, 
and on which they can, if they like, rest the 
nose-bags of hair-cloth from which they eat, to 
enable them to reach the bottom when their 
contents get low. 

12. It often happens that not only this bench 
exists in the stable, but also recesses corres- 
ponding to those in front of the apartments. 
These recesses in the stable or the bench, if 
there are none, furnish accommodation to the 
servants or others who have charge of the 
beasts ; and when persons find on their arrival 
that the apartments usually appropriated to 
travelers are already occupied, they are glad to 
find accommodation in the stable, particularly 
when the nights are cold or the season in- 
clement. 

13. It was undoubtedly in such a stable as this 
that the Saviour of the world was born. The 
proper lodgings in the inn being all occupied 
on this occasion, Joseph and his family sought 
a resting place in the recess within the stable. 
The shelf, or platform, extending back into the 
stable from the front apartment, formed the 
manger upon which the infant Jesus was laid. 

11 



162 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

14. "This explanation," says the author of 
the Pictorial Bible, " was strongly suggested to 
the present writer's mind, when himself find- 
ing accommodations in a recess of such 
stables, when there was 'no room' for him in 
the proper lodging apartments of the caravan- 
serais." 

15. Books. Writings were very early en- 
graved upon stone. The Egyptians manufac- 
tured a substance from the inner portion of a 
reed called the papyrus, upon which they wrote ; 
hence we derive our English word paper. 

16. As this was easily destroyed, when it 
was necessary that the inscription should be 
carefully preserved, the skins of beasts were 
prepared with great care, and used for this 
purpose ; these were called parchments or vel- 
lums, from which, also, our term volume has 
been taken. Upon these parchments the books 
of the Old, and afterward of the New Testament, 
were written. 

17. These were attached to two rollers, one 
at each end, so that when they read the parch- 
ment, it was unrolled from one, and rolled upon 
the other, until the reader reached the place he 
desired to find in the manuscript. After hav- 
ing finished his reading, the parchment was 
again rolled as at first, and placed for preserva- 
tion in a circular case. The instrument used 
to write upon this parchment was a pen made 
of reed or quills. 

18. Books were sometimes formed of tablets, 
made of a number of pieces of wood or iron, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL 



163 




2P* 







lead, or other metal, upon which the writing 
was engraved. Attached to each tablet was a 
ring, through which a stick being thrust, the 
whole was thus secured. 

19. When it was not desirable to preserve 
the writing, a tablet of pine was used, covered 
with wax, upon which inscriptions were made 
with a pointed steel. Such a one as this was 
probably used by Zacharias when he called for 
" a writing table." 

20. All their books were thus transcribed 
with the pen, making it a work of great labor 
and expense. But very few books consequently 
were written, and those only the most wealthy 
could obtain. One manuscript copy of the 
Bible, before the art of printing was discovered, 
would cost as much as a good library of choice 
works at the present day. 



164 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER IX. 

LEPROSY — DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS. 

1. Leprosy. To this disease frequent allu- 
sion is made in the New Testament, and a short 
description of it may not be uninteresting or 
unprofitable. Of all the diseases with which 
the human family has been afflicted, no one 
has been more fearful in its effects than the 
leprosy. It is far more prevalent in warm, 
than in cold climates. 

2. It is first exhibited on the surface of the 
skin. Spots suddenly make their appearance 
upon the face about the nose and eyes, like that 
made by the prick of a pin or the pustules of a 
ringworm. These spots increase in size for a 
long period, until they become as large as a 
pea or bean : they are of different colors, giving 
different names to the leprosy, viz., the white, 
the black, and the red leprosy. 

3. Gradually these spots, few at first, spread 
over the whole body. Although the disease 
makes its appearance in the skin, still it is 
deeply seated in the bones, marrow, and 
joints of the body. It is inherited by children 
from their parents, and, ordinarily, under these 
circumstances does not manifest itself until 
the fifteenth or sixteenth year. 

4. A person afflicted with it may live twenty 
or thirty years, and even fifty, but they will be 
years of indescribable suffering. Slowly, but 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 165 

certainly, this dreadful malady advances from 
one stage to another ; the joints of the hands 
and the feet lose their power, the body col- 
lapses or falls together, in a manner hideous 
and awful. 

5. Sometimes the disease commences in the 
extremities ; the joints separate, the fingers, 
toes, and other members, fall off one by one, as 
the disease gradually approaches the vitals, and 
thus the poor victim beholds himself corrupting 
and dying by piecemeal. 

6. This disease was contagious as well as 
hereditary, and to prevent its spread among the 
Jews, the Almighty, by his servant Moses, 
designated the wisest means for checking it. 
As in the first stages it may be mistaken, or 
may sometimes be cured, certain infallible tests 
were given to try the presence of the disease, 
and, if the infected person escaped from its 
deadly ravages, he again subjected himself to 
the inspection of the priest, and, if he pro- 
nounced him healed, he was received again 
into the congregation, bringing an appointed 
offering of doves. 

7. When the disease was discovered, and 
proved to be the malignant and incurable kind, 
the person was immediately separated from the 
people, and obliged to dwell outside the cities 
and towns, away from habitations, in the wilder- 
ness and desert, making forsaken ruins and 
deserted tombs his home, having his food 
brought to him, until, the dreadful disease con- 
quering, he was relieved by death from his foul 



166 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and horrid malady, and from his physical and 
mental sufferings. 

8. To distinguish these persons, they were 
clothed in a torn dress, with bare heads and 
covered chins, and when any person met them 
they were obliged to raise the warning cry — 
Unclean ! unclean ! As this disease was es- 
teemed to be sent as a punishment from God, 
and incurable in its nature ; in healing those 
afflicted, with one word of authority, our Lord 
manifested his divine power, as well as his 
unequaled compassion. 

9. Demoniacal Possessions. Nothing has 
given rise to more discussion, or produced 
wider differences of opinion, than those miracles 
of Christ in which he is said to have cast out 
evil spirits, or devils, from persons who were 
possessed with them, and whose bodies had 
suffered greatly under their malicious tor- 
ments. 

10. Some have supposed that these persons 
were lunatics, or diseased, and not literally and 
actually in the power of an evil angel ; and 
they have attributed the singular spasms, pros- 
trations, and cries, to the epilepsy, a diseased 
imagination, or insanity. 

1 1 . On the other hand, the clearest and most 
evangelical Bible expounders, embracing some 
of the most profound Scripture students, adopt 
the opinion that almost spontaneously forces 
itself upon the mind of every plain and honest 
Christian reader, that the literal meaning of the 
text is the only true meaning, and these unfor- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 167 

tunate persons were really subjected to the 
malign influence of an unclean spirit, and that 
the triumphs of our Lord over the powers of 
darkness were an essential part of the great 
scheme of redemption ; " for the Son of God 
was manifested that he might destroy the works 
of the devil." 

12. Says Dr. Campbell : " When I find men- 
tion made of the number of demons in particu- 
lar possessions, their actions so expressly dis- 
tinguished from those of the man possessed, 
conversations held by the former in regard to 
the disposal of themselves after expulsion, and 
accounts given how they were actually disposed 
of; when I find desires and passions ascribed 
peculiarly to them, and similitudes taken from 
their conduct, which they usually observed, it is 
impossible for me to deny their existence, 
without admitting that the sacred historians 
were either deceived themselves in regard to 
them, or intended to deceive their readers. * * 
Our Lord and his apostles talked and acted as 
if they believed that evil spirits had actually 
entered into those who were brought to them 
as possessed with devils, and as if those spirits 
had been actually expelled by their authority 
from the unhappy persons." 

13. Bishop Porteus remarks: "There is 
everywhere a plain distinction made between 
common diseases and demoniacal possessions, 
which shows that they are totally different 
things. In the fourth chapter of the Gospel by 
Matthew, where the very first mention is made 



168 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

of these possessions, it is said that our ' Lord's 
fame went throughout all Syria, and they 
brought unto him all sick people that were 
taken with divers diseases and torments, and 
those which were possessed with devils, and 
he healed them.' Here those that were taken 
with divers diseases and torments, and those 
possessed with devils, are mentioned as dis- 
tinct and separate persons : a plain proof that 
demoniacal possessions were not natural dis- 
eases, and the very same distinction is made 
in several other passages of holy writ. There 
can be no doubt, therefore, that the demoniacs 
were really possessed with evil spirits." 

14. To the objection, that if there were 
such possessions in the times of Christ, there 
is no reason why they should not be common 
now, it may be answered — that these posses- 
sions might have been more frequently permit- 
ted then, that the power of Christ over the 
world of spirits might be manifestly seen, and 
that He who came to destroy the works of the 
devil might thus visibly triumph over him. 

15. Again it is replied, that this was per- 
mitted, to counteract the prevailing infidelity 
among the learned Jews, especially the Sad- 
ducees, in the time of Christ, in reference to 
the existence of spirits. Lightfoot remarks 
upon this in substance, that the power of the 
demons might be permitted to exhibit itself at 
this time, because the iniquity of the Jews was 
now at its height, and consequently the whole 
world was in a state of awful apostasy from 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 169 

God, and almost entirely in the arms of the 
evil one. 

16. He adds, also, that the Jews being much 
given to magic, to prevent his miracles from 
being attributed to this source, our Saviour ex- 
pelled the evil spirits, thus assuring those that 
witnessed his miracles, that no confederacy 
existed between them. 

17. We may rely with implicit faith upon 
the histories of the evangelists concerning 
these remarkable occurrences. The same 
proofs that sustain their inspiration, and the 
truths of Christianity, confirm the view we have 
taken of this subject. These possessions form 
no small portion of the facts related in the life 
of Christ, and are as worthy of credence as any 
part of the history. If they have a hidden, 
mysterious, or spiritual meaning, so may all the 
rest of the Gospels, and we thus throw the word 
of God into inextricable confusion. 

18. What we cannot entirely comprehend, 
we are not to reject; many things that now 
seem dark and incomprehensible will shine 
forth as clear as noonday in the light of an- 
other world. Let us then humbly and teach- 
ably receive the word of God ; believing all its 
plain statements, following all its precepts, and 
trusting in its promises. 



170 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER X. 

DRESS OF THE PEOPLE FLOCKS. 

1 . Dress. It is worthy of remark, how slight 
are the changes which eastern nations have 
undergone. They seem to remain stationary in 
their habits and customs, and they appear to 
this day as they did thousands of years ago. 
This is true concerning their dress : the same 
worn by the ancient Jews is still seen almost 
everywhere in the East, with little varia- 
tion. 

2. The common substances from which their 
clothes were made, were wool, camel's hair, 
and goatskin — linen and silk were used by the 
rich. The quality of the dress depended upon 
the fineness of the texture and the richness of 
the coloring — white, purple, and blue, being the 
most eagerly sought. 

3. Their garments were mostly long and 
flowing, loosely thrown about the body, consist- 
ing of a large piece of cloth, the cutting and 
sewing of which required but little skill. 

4. (1.) The simplest and most ancient dress 
was the tunic, an inner garment, worn next to 
the flesh. This was shaped to the form of the 
body, reached to the knees, and was sometimes 
furnished with sleeves. Such a garment as 
this, woven and without a seam, was worn by 
our blessed Lord, and for it the soldiers cast 
lots. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 171 

5. The sleeves of the tunic worn by the 
women were large and full, to distinguish it 
from the male dress. The tunic was fastened 
by a girdle, which also served as a purse, a 
sword-belt, or to contain the inkhorn of the 
scribe. 

6. (2.) Over this garment was worn a large vest, 
or upper garment. It was a piece of cloth nearly 
square. The two corners which were thrown 
over the shoulders were called the skirts. 
This garment serves the Arabs, at the present 
day, for their raiment by day, and for their bed 
and covering by night. 

7. It is a loose and troublesome kind of gar- 
ment, easily disordered, and liable to fall, requiring 
that it should be continually tucked up. While 
working, a girdle, to keep it in its place, is ab- 
solutely necessary, showing the force of the 
Scripture injunction — having our loins girded. 

8. The two ends, in front, were often fasten- 
ed together, and served as an apron for a recep- 
tacle of herbs, leaves, and corn, thus illustrating 
such scriptures as this — giving good measure 
unto the bosom. It was this garment that was 
strewed in the way, by the multitude, when 
Jesus rode into the city. 

9. When a person threw this off he was 
said to be naked. Thus the young man aroused 
suddenly from his slumbers, on the night that 
our Lord was arrested, fled, leaving this garment, 
upon which he had been sleeping ; and although 
he probably still had the tunic on, he is said 
to have fled naked. 



172 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

10. The ancient Jews seldom wore any 
covering upon the head, except when they 
worshiped ; then they drew their mantles over 
their heads, out of respect to the divine Being. 
When afflicted, as was David at the revolt of 
Absalom, or when exposed to storms, the outer 
garment was drawn over the head. In later 
days the turban came into use among both the 
men and the women. 

11. Jewish ladies never appeared in public 
without being veiled, as are all eastern women 
at the present day. Hence St. Paul severely 
censures the Corinthian woman for appearing 
in the church without a veil, and praying to God 
uncovered, by which she threw off the modesty 
and propriety of the sex, according to the cus- 
toms of the day, and exposed her religion to 
scandal. 

12. The ladies wore their hair long, and 
paid much attention to it, braiding it with gold 
and jewels. These expensive and vain embel- 
lishments Paul condemns. " I will," says he, 
" that women adorn themselves in modest ap- 
parel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not 
with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly 
array." 

13. The men wore their hair short, but their 
beard long. The latter was never shaved ex- 
cept in cases of extreme grief, and it was con- 
sidered a great disgrace to be without it. 
Much attention was given to it, to keep it smooth 
and glossy. Thus we read of the fragrant oil, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 173 

which ran down from Aaron's beard to the 
skirts of his garment. ^ 

14. Their legs were bare, and on their feet 
they wore sandals. These were either made of 
thick leather, or of wood, and fastened in differ- 
ent ways upon the bottom of the foot. When 
any one entered a house, the servants removed 
his sandals, and washed his feet, their unpro- 
tected state rendering this necessary as well 
as agreeable. 

15. Sheep. There are two kinds of sheep 
in Palestine — one, like oi.r large breeds, only 
their tails are much thicker and larger; the 
other, and most common, is remarkable for the 
extraordinary size of its tail, which is gene- 
rally one-third the weight of the whole sheep. 
Some have been seen with tails weighing forty 
pounds. 

16. The wealth of eastern men consisted in 
their large flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle 
and camels. The flocks under their shepherds 
were moved from one pasture to another as the 
grass or wells made it necessary, the shepherds 
remaining with them night and day. 

17. The sons of Jacob kept their father's 
flocks. Young David tended his flocks on the 
hills and in the valleys around Bethlehem; 
and while, in the same vicinity, shepherds 
were watching their flocks by night, the angel 
of the Lord announced to them the birth of the 
Saviour. 

18. A very familiar and even affectionate 



174 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

acquaintance was formed between the shepherd 
and his flocks. It was customary (and is still) 
to give them different names, and the sheep 
soon learned to come to the shepherd, like a 
dog, upon the calling of his name ; but would 
take no notice when the name was called by a 
stranger. 

19. A late traveler saw, while journeying 
over the heights of Lebanon, the sheep nestle 
around the shepherd ; when he laid down, 
laying their heads on his legs, and falling 
asleep, while the smaller lambs crept into his 
bosom. He also noticed that when the shep- 
herd wished to move them to the well, or into 
another pasture, he went before them, and call- 
ing them, or singing or playing on an instrument, 
they would immediately follow him in regular 
files, without breaking their ranks. 

20. In this way he saw them pass through 
fields of grain, and not a sheep would turn aside 
to pluck a mouthful. When they reached the 
watering places, however thirsty they might be, 
not a sheep would leave his place until his rank 
was called by the shepherd ; then they would 
march up as regularly as a file of soldiers, drink, 
and return again. They seemed to be afraid of 
strangers, and shunned them. 

21. How beautifully does this illustrate the 
words of the Saviour : " And he [the true 
shepherd] calleth his own sheep by name, and 
leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth 
his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the 
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 175 

And a stranger will they not follow, but will 
flee from him ; for they know not the voice of 
strangers." 

22. On account of its mild, inoffensive, 
and patient character, the sheep is used in the 
Scriptures to typify the people of God, while 
Christ represents himself as the " good Shep- 
herd." Lost sheep is a peculiarly tender and 
touching expression, signifying the situation of 
the impenitent sinner, and the interest that is 
felt for him by the Saviour. 

23. Peter was commanded to feed the lambs, 
or to attend to the wants of the young of the 
Saviour's fold ; and was twice enjoined to feed 
his sheep — administer carefully and continually 
to the spiritual wants of Christ's church, they 
being considered especially the Saviour's flock. 
The Saviour himself was called the Lamb of 
God, on account of his meek and patient 
character, and in allusion to the lambs sacrificed 
for the passover. 



CHAPTER XL 

HOUSE S TIME. 

1. Houses. Formerly, as now, the houses 
in Judea, and indeed almost throughout the 
East, were built low, with flat roofs, these 
being surrounded, according to an express com- 
mand of God, (Deut. xxi, 8,) with a railing or 
battlement, about breast high. 



176 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

2. These houses were commonly built of 
stone, but those of the poorer classes were 
constructed of mud, affording an easy entrance 
to thieves who wished to " break through and 
steal." 

3. These houses were squares built around 
an open space in the centre, the dwelling 
rooms being upon the four sides of the quadran- 
gle, usually in the second and third stories ; 
the first story being low, and used for an entry, 
reception-room, and store-room. With the 
wealthy the second story was high, beautifully 
adorned with tapestry and ornamental work. 

4. To this " upper room " frequent allusion is 
made in the New Testament. Here Paul 
preached his parting sermon, while Eutychus, 
sitting in one of the projecting windows, being 
overpowered by the heat and weariness, fell 
asleep and dropped out upon the pavement, and 
was raised again from insensibility by the 
apostle. 

5. The open square in the centre is com- 
monly paved, and sometimes covered with 
carpets, and cooled by a fountain of water. To 
protect this delightful retreat from the sun, a 
sail or a lattice is often drawn over the top. 
Here the master of the house receives his 
guests, and here Christ stood when he preached 
in Capernaum to the audiences that thronged 
the court and the doors. 

6. The houses being flat upon the top, the 
roofs are often used as sleeping places, and in 
the hot, dry atmosphere of Judea, no place could 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 177 

be more desirable. A small chamber or closet 
was usually built upon the roof, whither the 
inmates of the house might retire alone and 
unobserved to pray. Here Peter was praying 
when he saw the wonderful sheet let down 
from heaven, and was encouraged by this divine 
vision to follow the servants of Cornelius the 
Gentile. 

7. There were two ways of ascending to the 
top of Jewish houses — one way within the 
house, the other upon the outside. Thus when 
the friends of the paralytic man of Capernaum 
found the doorway of the house where Jesus 
was preaching thronged with the multitude, 
they sought the roof by the outside passage, 
carrying with them their helpless friend. But 
finding that the sail or lattice was drawn over 
the court, they unloosed and removed it, and 
lowered the bed containing the paralytic down 
into the open space before Jesus ; thus doing 
little or no injury to the house. 

8. The furniture of the houses of the com- 
mon people was extremely simple and cheap. 
Instead of chairs they sat upon skins or mats. 
A simple matress was spread over these mats, 
and their bed was made, while their usual gar- 
ments thrown over them formed the covering. 
Thus for a well man, or one really healed, it 
was no heavy burden to bear his bed away with 
him, as did the cured paralytic, at Christ's com- 
mand. 

9. The rich had couches and sofas upon 
which they sat and slept ; some of them were 

12 



178 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



richly inlaid with ivory, and their coverlids 
were splendid and perfumed. 2 Kings iv, 10; 
Amos vi, 4 ; Prov. vii, 16, 17. In the time of 
our Lord it was customary to recline upon these 
couches while taking their meals, leaning upon 
the side, with the head toward the table, and 
the limbs stretched out behind them. We can 
see how the beloved disciple is said to have 
leaned upon the Saviour's bosom, he reclining 
next before him at the table ; and also how 
Mary, coming behind, anointed the feet of 
Jesus, and wiped them with her hair. 




10. Their culinary instruments were also 
simple. The hand-mill, in which the grain 
was ground, consisted of two round flat stones, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 179 

worked by two women seated upon the ground 
opposite each other. In the centre of the upper 
stone is a cavity to receive the corn, and by its 
side an upright wooden handle for moving the 
stone. One woman then commences by push- 
ing the upper stone round with her right hand, 
toward her companion ; the other, receiving it, 
pushes it round again to the first, and thus they 
continue the rotary motion, while with the left 
hand they supply fresh corn, as the meal and 
bran escape from a hole in the side. 

11. Their corn was ordinarily ground by 
servant maids every morning early, and thus at 
break of day the " sound of the millstones" could 
be heard all through the villages. From this 
description we can perceive the significance 
of the Saviour's prophecy, " Two women shall 
be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken 
and the other left." To this Isaiah makes fre- 
quent allusion in his prophecies, as when he 
pronounces the curse of the Almighty against 
the rebellious people : " Moreover I will take 
from them the voice of mirth and the voice of 
gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the 
voice of the bride, the sound of millstones, and 
the light of a candle, and the whole land shall 
be a desolation." 

12. Their ovens were sometimes only earthen 
pots, in which fire was placed to heat them, 
and upon the outside, or the inside, after the 
fire was burned down, batter, or dough, was 
spread and baked. Oftentimes they consisted 
of holes in the ground, with stones in the bot- 



180 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

torn, which being heated by fire kindled within, 
the dough was thrown in, and baked upon the 
stones. 

13. They were accustomed to have for the 
preservation of their water, which oftentimes 
in this dry country was brought from a distant 
well upon the heads of females, large stone 
jars, or watering-pots, holding from eighteen to 
twenty gallons. 

14. The Jews usually kept their liquids, 
such as wine, milk, and water, in bottles made 
of skins or leather. When these became old, 
they were stiff and easily burst. On this ac- 
count it was necessary that new wine, as liable 
to ferment, should be put in new bottles, ac- 
cording to the beautiful parable of our Saviour. 

15. Manner of computing Time. The He- 
brews computed their days from evening to 
evening. There was no such division as hours 
in the time of Moses, but the civil day was 
divided into four equal parts, determined by the 
position of the sun in the heavens. 

16. In the prophecy of Daniel we have the 
first intimation of hours, obtained probably from 
the Chaldeans, who first invented this division. 
Afterward the Jews commenced their civil day 
at six o'clock in the morning, and ended it at 
six in the evening. So that their first hour 
would correspond to our seven o'clock ; their 
third hour to our nine o'clock ; their sixth hour 
to our twelve, and their ninth hour to our three 
o'clock P. M., &c. 

17. From eight to nine, or between the second 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 181 

and third hours, the morning sacrifice was pre- 
pared, and offered at nine precisely, which was 
the general hour of prayer, as were twelve and 
three o'clock, these being, according to their 
reckoning, the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours. 
The night was similarly divided into three parts 
or watches, at first ; afterward into four ; the 
last being added by the Romans. The first, or 
evening watch, continued from six P. M. until 
nine o'clock ; the second from nine to twelve, 
or midnight ; the third from twelve to three, 
or first cock crowing; the fourth from three to 
six, or second cock crowing. 

18. The Jewish year, like our own, was 
divided into twelve months, but theirs were lunar 
months, regulated by the changes of the moon. 
Twelve of these changes would fall short of a 
solar year, or a revolution of the earth around 
the sun, they transpiring in three hundred and 
fifty-four days and eight hours, so that every 
year would run behindhand. 

19. But as their festivals were not only held 
upon certain months, but also in certain seasons 
of the year, as in the spring and autumn ; and 
the spring month being liable by this continued 
loss to fall in the middle of winter, they were 
accustomed, in order to accommodate the lunar 
to the solar year, to add an additional month to 
the year as often as was necessary ; and this 
was about once in three years, sometimes in 
two. 

20. Their civil year began about the fifteenth 
of our September, because it was an existing 



182 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

tradition that the world was created upon that 
day. The sacred year, at the command of God, 
began the first day of Nisan, corresponding to 
the last of our March ; the month in which the 
Jews passed out of Egypt, upon the fourteenth 
day of which their most interesting festival, the 
passover, was celebrated. 



CHAPTER XII. 

TREES MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

1. (I.) Fig-tree. This tree is very common 
in Palestine and the East ; and flourishes in 
barren and stony soils where little else will grow. 
It grows to a considerable height, and affords a 
grateful and pleasant shelter : thus, as an em- 
blem of prosperity and peace, it is said in 
Micah, " They shall sit every man under his 
vine and under his fig-tree, and none shall make 
them afraid." 

2. Fig-trees begin to sprout very early in 
the spring, the fruit making its appearance be- 
fore the leaves and the flowers. Says Shaw: 
" They may rather be said to shoot out their fruit;, 
which they do like so many buttons, with their 
flowers imperfect, as they are inclosed within 
them. This shooting out of the fig-tree was 
considered, by the Jews, as a sign that the 
' summer was near at hand.' " 

3. It was about the begining of April, when 
our Lord, at the time of the passover, approached 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 183 

a fig-tree, expecting to find fruit on it, but found 
nothing but leaves. As the fruit appears before 
the leaves, and as usually two crops of figs, 
at this season, may be seen on the tree at once, 
(the ripe fruit of the present crop, and the 
young fruit that is to succeed it,) it was a 
reasonable expectation that figs should be found 
upon it ; and this would have been realized if 
the tree had not been barren. 

4. He cursed the tree, and immediately it 
withered. Our Saviour intended by this mira- 
cle to prefigure the speedy ruin of the Jewish 
nation, on account of their unfruitfulness, after 
so much attention had been bestowed upon 
them. 

5. The early fruit was eaten fresh, and was 
very delicious ; some were dried in the sun, 
and preserved in masses, which are called 
cakes of figs. 

6. (II.) Olive-tree. This beautiful tree is 
also very common in the countries around the 
Mediterranean ; it is of a moderate height, two 
or three trunks frequently rising from the same 
root. Two kinds are mentioned in the Scrip- 
ture — the cultivated and the wild olive. 

7. The trunk of the cultivated olive is knotty, 
its wood is solid and yellowish ; its leaves are 
oblong, and almost like those of the willow — 
of a dark green color on the upper side, and 
whitish below. In the month of June it puts 
forth white flowers, growing in bunches. Each 
flower is of one piece, widening upward, and 
dividing into four parts. The fruit is oblong 



184 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and plump — at first green, then pale, and when 
quite ripe it becomes black. Within it is a hard 
stone containing seeds. The wild olive is 
smaller in all its parts. 

8. The olive flourishes two hundred years 
before it begins to decay ; and then from its 
roots start up other young trees to take its 
place. The tree is found in all parts of Pales- 
tine. The Jews paid great attention to its cul- 
tivation. No tree is oftener mentioned in the 
sacred Scriptures than this. We read of " olive- 
yards ;" and from its cultivation on the sides of 
the heights around Jerusalem a name was given 
to one of the mountains — the memorable Mount 
of Olives. 

9. The olives were sometimes gathered from 
the trees by shaking them, and sometimes by 
beating them off with poles ; allusion is made 
to both these ways in Isa. xvii, 6, and Deut. 
xxiv, 20. 

10. The fragrant oil, used for anointing the 
body and hair, for medicinal purposes, and for 
lamps, was what rendered these trees so valu- 
able. This was extracted from the fruit — at 
first, by treading it under the feet, and after- 
ward, by the use of mills of simple construc- 
tion. 

11. As it requires careful and continued cul- 
ture, without which it could not be culivated, it 
is used as a symbol of peace. From its verdure, 
soundness, and the usefulness of its oil, it was 
also used as a symbol of prosperity and happi- 
ness. Thus the Psalmist says : " Thy children 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 185 

(shall be) like olive -plants round about thy 
table." 

12. In Romans xi, the rejection of the Jew- 
ish nation, and the admission of the Gentile 
world to the benefits of the gospel, are represent- 
ed by the lopping off of the boughs of an olive, 
and the ingrafting of a young wild olive into 
its trunk. St. Paul also foretells, by the reviving 
of the old branches, and their insertion again in 
the trunk, the eventual gathering of the Jewish 
nation, and a renewal of God's covenant and 
mercies toward them. 

13. (III.) The Sycamore-tree. This curious 
tree partakes of the nature of both the mulberry 
and the fig — of the former in its leaf, and the 
latter in its fruit. It is thus described : It is of 
the height of the beech, and bears its fruit in a 
manner quite different from other trees. It has 
them on the trunk itself, which shoots out little 
sprigs in the form of a grape-stalk, at the end 
of which grows the fruit, close to one another, 
much like bunches of grapes. 

14. The tree is always green, and bears fruit 
several times a year, without observing any 
certain seasons. The fruit has the figure and 
smell of real figs ; but is inferior to them in 
the taste, having a disgustful sweetness. Its 
color is yellow ; inside it resembles the com" 
mon fig, excepting that it has a blackish color- 
ing with yellow spots. 

15. The sycamore strikes its large diverging 
roots deep into the soil ; and, on this account, 
says Paxton, our Lord alludes to it as the 



186 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

most difficult to be rooted up, and transferred 
to another situation : " If ye had faith, as a 
grain of mustard-seed, ye might say unto this 
sycamore-tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, 
and be thou planted in the sea, and it should 
obey thee." It was upon one of these trees that 
Zaccheus climbed to see our Saviour, as he 
passed through Jericho. 

16. (IV.) Mustard-tree. It is almost im- 
possible to determine now, what particular 
species of the mustard-plant is intended in the 
Scriptures. The ordinary plants, however, 
reach a growth in Palestine unequaled in 
colder countries. 

17. But a species of tree like the mustard- 
plant has been noticed by eastern travelers. 
Captains Irby and Mangles met with such in 
their journeys near the Dead Sea, which they thus 
describe : " There was one curious tree which 
we observed in great plenty, which bore a fruit 
in bunches, resembling in appearance the cur- 
rant, with the color of the plum. It has a 
pleasant, though strongly aromatic taste, ex- 
actly resembling the mustard ; and, if taken in 
any quantity, produces a similar irritability of 
the nose and eyes to that which is caused by 
taking mustard. 

18. " We think it probable that this is the tree 
our Saviour alluded to in the parable of the 
mustard-seed, and not the mustard-plant which 
we have in the north ; for although, in our 
journey from Bysan to Adjelon, we met with 
the mustard-plant growing wild, as high as 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 187 

our horses' heads, still, being an annual, it does 
not deserve the appellation of a 'tree ;' whereas 
the other is really such, and birds might 
easily, and actually do, take shelter under its 
shadow." 

19. (V.) The Vine. Often, in the New and Old 
Testaments, allusion is made to the vine and its 
fruit. This beautiful creeping and hanging 
plant abounded in Palestine, and, in some parts, 
the grapes were of an extraordinary size : thus 
the Israelites, who had been used to see the 
small grapes of Egypt, were astonished at the 
immense bunches of grapes brought from the 
Valley of Eshcol, in the vicinity of Hebron, by 
the spies. 

20. They were usually cultivated upon the 
sides of the hills and the mountains, in ascend- 
ing terraces. To show the abundance of vines 
which should fall to the lot of Judah in the 
partition of the promised land, Jacob says of this 
tribe : — 

" Binding his colt to the vine, 
And to the choice vine, the foal of his ass, 
Washing his garments in wine, 
His clothes in the blood of the grape." 

Gen. xlix, 11. 

21. After vintage, it was customary, in some 
parts of Persia, to turn their cattle into the 
vineyards to browse upon the vines, the trunks 
of which being so large as not to be materially 
injured by the cattle feeding upon the leaves 
and tender branches. Malte Brun says that in 



188 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Galilee were seen "vine-stocks a foot and a 
half in diameter, forming by their twining 
branches vast arches, and extensive ceilings 
of verdure. A cluster of grapes, two or three 
feet in length, will give an abundant supper to a 
whole family." 

22. The grapes were gathered, and placed in 
a vat or press, and were then trodden down by 
their feet, the juice being forced out from a spout 
at the side of the vat. To this process continual 
allusion is made in the Scriptures. The Sa- 
viour is represented as " treading the wine- 
press alone," his " apparel being red," and " his 
garments like him that treadethin the wine-vat" 
— significant of his triumph over his enemies. 

23. The treading out of the grapes was a 
lively and exhilarating employment — a scene of 
extravagant joy and shouting. In a terrible 
prophecy allusion is made to this : " The 
Lord shall mightily roar from his habitation, he 
shall shout as they that tread the grapes." Jer. 
xxv, 30. 

24. In the temple at Jerusalem, above and 
around the gate that led from the porch to the holy 
place, was a richly carved vine. Its branches, 
tendrils, and leaves, were of the finest gold ; 
the stalks of the bunches were of the length of 
the human form, and the bunches hanging upon 
them were of costly jewels. Herod first placed 
it there, and the rich Jews from time to time 
added to its embellishments. This vine, valu- 
ed at twelve millions of dollars, must have been 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 189 

looked upon as of uncommon importance, and 
of sacred meaning, by the Jews. 

25. It may have been in the presence of this 
splendid vine — on the evening of the passover, 
wherr it was illumined by the lights of the 
temple, and the eyes of his disciples were 
gazing upon it with rapture as they entered into 
the temple — that Jesus commenced that beau- 
tiful address, " I am the true Vine." How im- 
pressive and pertinent must this conversation 
have appeared, under these circumstances ! 

26. Through the scarcity of fuel, everything 
that could possibly be gathered was used for 
the fire. Withered and broken branches of the 
vine were devoted to this purpose. Thus says 
our Lord : " If a man abide not in me he is 
cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men 
gather them and cast them in the fire, and they 
are burned." 

27. The vine shares with the lily and the 
wheat field in affording subjects for the para- 
bles of our Lord ; and beyond all the fruits of 
the earth has he honored and hallowed this, 
by making it the symbol of his " spilt blood." 



I 

190 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

JERUSALEM AND THE JEWS, FROM THE CRU- 
CIFIXION UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME. 

1 . Judea, with the rest of Palestine, continued, 
after the Roman conquest, to be governed by 
officers appointed by the Roman emperors. 
Many of these officers were men of cruel and 
greedy dispositions, and continual and bloody 
affrays were arising between the goaded and 
oppressed people and the mercenary bands 
which held them in subjection. At length, in 
the reign of Nero, in the year of our Lord 66, 
Florus became governor. This brutal and sor- 
did officer, treating them with even more cruelty 
than his predecessors, the Jews, esteeming 
death to be no worse than their present sufferings, 
openly revolted ; and that struggle commenced, 
which only ended in their memorable destruc- 
tion, as a nation, by Titus. 

2. The war was commenced in Galilee, 
where Josephus for a long time withstood the 
Roman arms, but was eventually taken prisoner. 
Before the siege of Jerusalem, the situation of 
the country, and especially of the city, was 
truly deplorable. Jerusalem was infested with 
robbers and assassins, who openly, at mid-day, 
plundered the houses, and murdered the in- 
habitants. Added to this, it was in a state of 
fearful anarchy and confusion. It being the 
season of the passover, two or three millions 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 191 

had collected in the city. Three powerful fac- 
tions divided the population, and fortified differ- 
ent sections of the city against each other. 
By their murderous sallies they filled the streets 
with blood, and with the mangled remains of their 
brethren. The unburied bodies soon caused a 
dreadful pestilence, which carried off immense 
numbers. 

3. At this time, Titus, the son of the then 
reigning Roman emperor, Vespasian, and who 
afterward succeeded his father, appeared before 
the walls with his vast army, and attempted, by 
very favorable terms, to induce a peaceful sur- 
render. But the people, maddened by their 
sufferings, and hardened by the bloody scenes 
of which they were continual spectators, 
treated all his offers with scorn. According to 
the prophecy of Christ, a trench was dug around 
the walls, and the city was encompassed on 
every side. 

4. " During this celebrated siege there were 
no less than three earthquakes ; and an aurora 
borealis terrified the inhabitants with forms 
which their fears and astonishment converted 
into prodigies of enemies fighting in the air, 
and flaming swords hanging over their temple. 
They were visited with a plague so dreadful, 
that more than one hundred and fifty thousand 
persons were carried out of the city and buried, 
at the public charge ; and six hundred and fifty 
thousand were cast over the walls, and out of 
the gates. 

5. "A famine ensued; and so horrible was the 



192 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

want, that a bushel of corn sold for six hundred 
crowns. The populace were reduced to the 
necessity of taking old excrement of horses, 
mules, and oxen, to satisfy their hunger ; and a 
lady of quality even boiled her own child and ate 
it : a crime so execrable, that Titus vowed to the 
eternal gods (he was a heathen and an idolater) 
that he would bury its infamy in the ruins of 
the city. He took it soon after by storm : the 
plough was drawn over it ; and, with the excep- 
tion of the west walls and three towers, not 
one stone remained above another. Ninety 
thousand persons were made captives, and 
one million one hundred thousand perished 
during the siege. Those made captives, being 
sold to several nations, were dispersed over a 
great portion of the ancient world ; and from 
them are descended the present race of Jews, 
scattered singly, and in detached portions, in 
every province of Europe, and in most districts 
of Africa and Asia."— Ruins of Ancient Cities, 
vol. i, p. 300. 

6. Titus had given orders, after the succes- 
sive walls were carried, and the city nearly 
subdued, to save the temple, where six thousand 
of the Jews had taken shelter. But a brand, in 
the heat of the conflict, was thrown into it by a 
soldier, and this costly and magnificent pile, 
amid the awful outcries of the Jews, was con- 
sumed, with the helpless multitudes within its 
courts, in the raging flames. The city was 
afterward partly rebuilt by the Romans. 

7. In A. D. 130, a Jew, surnamed Barcochab, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 193 

pretending to be the Messiah, led a revolt, and 
was followed by a large company. They retook 
Jerusalem ; but this revolt was very soon crushed 
by Adrian, the Roman emperor, and in this war 
about sixty thousand more of this unfortunate and 
deluded nation perished. Now was terribly 
fulfilled that clear and express prophecy record- 
ed against them, in that very law which they 
heard daily read in their synagogues. Deut. 
xxviii, 47-57. God had indeed " brought a 
nation from afar," that " moved swift as the 
eagle flieth." (The Roman standard was a 
golden eagle.) " It was a nation whose tongue 
they did not understand — of fierce countenance 
— regarding not the person of old or young." 
By this nation " were they besieged in all their 
gates, until their high and fenced walls came 
down." Then did they " eat the fruit of their 
own body, the flesh of their own sons and 
their daughters, in the straitness of the siege 
wherewith their enemies distressed them." 
And then were they made to " serve their ene- 
mies in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, 
and in want of all things ; and wore a yoke 
of iron upon their necks until they were 
destroyed." 

8. On the ruins of Jerusalem Adrian built a 
new city, which he named iElia. On the site 
of the temple he erected a shrine to Jupiter. 
No Jew was allowed to enter the city, on pain 
of death. Soon after this, the Christians, who 
had escaped to the little city of Pella, beyond 
the Jordan, returned to Jerusalem, and remained 

13 



194 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

unmolested for a long period. A Christian 
church and bishopric flourished here for centu- 
ries. 

9. When Constantine, the emperor of Rome, 
embraced the Christian faith, this city imme- 
diately rose to great repute, and multitudes from 
every nation began to flock hither to behold the 
sacred scenes of their Saviour's life and death. 
Helena, the mother of the emperor, set an illus- 
trious example, by journeying thither, at the age 
of fourscore, and causing elegant churches to 
be erected over the supposed sites of the na- 
tivity and ascension of Christ. 

10. In A. D. 362, the emperor Julian, an infidel, 
rejecting Christianity and practicing idolatry, 
in his hatred to the true religion encouraged 
the Jews to return and rebuild their city. The 
attempt was made ; but a terrible earthquake, 
and balls of fire issuing out of the earth, killed 
the workmen, and destroyed the materials. 

11. For many centuries Jerusalem was the 
resort of pilgrims without number, traveling 
hither to spend the remnant of their lives in 
pious meditation, in order, as they falsely be- 
lieved, to expiate their past sins ; or to kneel 
on consecrated ground, and return with a sup- 
posed relic of the holy cross, or sepulchre. 

12. At length, in A. D. 614, Chosroes, king 
of Persia, after having subjugated S}^ria, invest- 
ed and took Jerusalem by storm — " destroyed 
the churches, slew thousands of her clergy, 
monks, consecrated virgins, and other inhabit- 
ants." It was recovered again in 627, and the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 195 

temples rebuilt only to fall once more into the 
hands of the Mohammedans. The calif Omar, 
having taken possession, built a mosque, on the 
site of the Jewish temple. Different and deso- 
lating Mohammedan dynasties succeeded each 
other, until A. D. 1099, at which era it was 
in the hands of the Turkomans, or Turks — a 
race of wild barbarians, who had overrun 
Syria, and eventually overthrew Constantinople 
and the eastern Roman empire. 

13. These uncivilized warriors immediately 
commenced a system of cruel exactions and 
persecutions toward the multitudes of pilgrims 
that still flocked to the holy city ; (more espe- 
cially at this time, as an idea was now preva- 
lent that the " end of all things" was at hand.) 
The sufferings of their brethren in the East 
soon aroused the indignation of the western 
Christians. At this time appeared in Europe 
that wonderful enthusiast, Peter the Hermit. 
He had visited Jerusalem ; seen the sufferings 
and indignity heaped upon the followers of 
Christ ; and, burning with zeal for the cross, he 
hurried back to arouse Christendom for their 
deliverance. Barefooted, he passed from town 
to town, from province to province, from country 
to country, spreading the cry of "vengeance on 
the Turks and deliverance to Jerusalem." 

15. The cry was not heard in vain. All 
Europe almost simultaneously sprung to arms, 
in answer to the summons. The wild enthu- 
siasm spread through all ranks and ages — old 
and young, nobles and serfs, kings and subjects, 



196 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and even the women and children, filled with 
overpowering zeal, and shouting the magic war- 
cry — God wills it! — gathered around the ban- 
ners of the cross. 

16. The first, irregular, undisciplined troop, 
led on by Peter himself, were nearly all de- 
stroyed before reaching Asia. But, eventually, 
one of the largest and best-disciplined armies 
that ever took the field — the chivalry of Europe 
— under the bravest leader of the day, Godfrey 
of Bouilon, commenced their march upon this 
holy crusade. After suffering indescribably, 
from contentions, famine, the plague, and the 
sword, and having taken most of the important 
cities of Palestine, they stood under the walls 
of Jerusalem. The effect produced upon their 
minds by the site of this city was indescriba- 
ble. " The name was echoed by a thousand 
tongues, Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! Some shout- 
ed to the sky ; some knelt and prayed ; some 
wept in silence ; and some cast themselves 
down and kissed the blessed earth !" 

17. After a long and bloody siege the city 
was taken, and the banner of the cross waved 
once more over her walls. The Christians 
retained possession of Jerusalem eighty-eight 
years. It was then wrested from them by 
Saladin, sultan of the East. Twice was it 
recovered, at an expense of oceans of Christian 
blood, and them again reclaimed by the Moslem. 
In A. D. 1244 it became a part of the Ottoman 
or Turkish empire, and thus remained until 
1832, when, with the rest of Syria, it formed a 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 197 

portion of the dominion of the revolting pasha 
of Egypt, Mohammed Ali. In 1840 it was 
again recovered by the Turkish sultan, with 
the assistance of England ; and now remains 
almost without a master. And thus has Jeru- 
salem literally been, according to the prophecy, 
" trodden down of the Gentiles." 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE JEWS SINCE THE 
DEATH OF CHRIST. 

1. In the judgment-hall of Pilate the blinded 
and insane multitude cried out, while the Ro- 
man governor hesitated to condemn an innocent 
man : " His blood be on us, and on our children." 
Matt, xxvii, 25. How awfully has this devoted 
race experienced the fulfillment of this terrible 
imprecation called down upon their own heads ! 

2. In all nations, whither they have been 
scattered, they have suffered the most cruel 
persecutions. Thousands were butchered in 
Germany by the half-frantic crusaders, before 
they started for the Holy Land ; thinking that 
they could not do a greater service for the cross, 
than to destroy those whom they esteemed its 
most bitter enemies. 

3. When the awful plague swept like a 
destroying angel over Europe, the Jews were 
accused of poisoning the wells, and the 
whole country flowed with the blood of this 



198 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

miserable nation. All people and creeds 
seemed at once turned against them ; they 
literally had no rest to the sole of their foot — 
barbarian, Mohammedan, and Christian, were 
all alike their foes. 

4. At Berne, in Switzerland, upon the false 
accusation of having slain a child, to use its 
blood in their religious ceremonies, a virulent 
and sanguinary persecution immediately com- 
menced, in which multitudes were inhumanly 
tortured. The blood of the Innocent, slain by 
their fathers, was upon them ! Once again, in 
1348, the black death, as it was called, a fright- 
ful pestilence, spreading its dreadful effects far 
and wide, the poor Jews were accused of infect- 
ing the springs with magical arts, and, despite 
all their protestations of innocence, their blood 
flowed in streams in almost every province and 
city. 

5. In the one city of Strasburg two thousand 
Israelites were burned to death on funeral piles. 
O, what a punishment for condemning the Inno- 
cent, when falsely accused ! In Spain and Por- 
tugal their sufferings were bitter in the extreme. 
They esteem their hardships upon their disper- 
sion from these countries as severe as those 
attending the destruction of Jerusalem. About 
eight hundred thousand Jews were at once torn 
from their homes, robbed of nearly all their pro- 
perty, and driven into banishment. 

6. From all the statistics that can be obtain- 
ed, it appears that on the Peninsula, about one 
million and a half of Jews perished by torture, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 199 

at the stake, in dungeons, and by starvation as 
exiles, while no means were allowed them to 
depart the country. In France and England 
their condition has been but little better ; per- 
secuted, defrauded, hated, exposed to the mur- 
derous passions of superstitious mobs, they have 
been continually oppressed and spoiled ; they 
have "feared day and night, and have had no 
assurance of their lives." 

7. It was foretold of them, that they 
should be a proverb and a byword among 
all nations whither the Lord should lead them. 
They have been despised and shunned wher- 
ever they have wandered. Confined to the 
most narrow and filthy portions of cities, and 
forbidden on penalty of death to enter the other 
portions ; scorned and detested, the epithet 
" Jew " has been the lowest that could be ap- 
plied to the most degraded human being. It 
is said, that over the main gate of one of 
the German cities is a large sign inscribed, 
" No hog, nor Jew, allowed to pass through this 
gate." In Spain it is made a penal offense to 
call a man a Jew ! They are a proverb all the 
world over — for their heartlessness, their ava- 
rice, their low deceit and cunning, their ex- 
orbitant usury and miserable cupidity. 

8. Amid all their sufferings and wander- 
ings how wonderful is the preservation of 
this nation! There is scarcely a people upon 
the globe where they may not be found 
— east or west, north or south — among all 
nations, and all tongues. And amid all the dif- 



200 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ferences of climate, habit, civilization, and lan- 
guage, they remain everywhere the same peculiar 
people, bearing about with them a mark as in- 
delible as that which distinguished Cain : " They 
[the curses] shall be upon thee for a sign, and 
for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever." 
Deut. xxviii, 46. The nations that scattered 
and destroyed them— their last conquerors, the 
Romans even — are known only in history, while 
they, torn and peeled by the Assyrian, the 
Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Grecian, and 
Roman, still exist, not in one distinct and com- 
pact body, to be sure, but as truly separate 
from all nations as in the golden days of David 
and Solomon. 

9. Where shall we find the secret of this 
preservation — a key to unlock this deep mys- 
tery ? Where, but in the word of God 1 Here 
this difficult problem is solved. Had the sacred 
penman been writing the present history, in- 
stead of portraying events not to transpire for 
centuries, he could not have more vividly pic- 
tured the actual state of this disobedient nation. 
" I will make," is the language of the Almighty 
to them in the wilderness, " your cities waste, 
and bring your sanctuaries into desolation, and 
I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors : 
and your enemies which dwell therein shall be 
astonished at it. And I will scatter you among 
the heathen, and will draw out a sword after 
you." Lev. xxvi, 31-33. "And yet for all that, 
when they be in the land of their enemies, I 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 201 

will not cast them away, neither will I abhor 
them to destroy them utterly." 

10. There is a cheering prospect in the 
future for this long-afflicted and forsaken people, 
brought to view in the prophecies of both the Old 
and the New Testament. Their present judicial 
blindness has a limit, and the veil will eventu- 
ally be lifted from the hearts of Israel. When 
that event, so much to be desired by every 
Christian, will transpire, is not yet revealed, 
but the event itself is certain as the word of 
God. 

11. "And it shall come to pass, when all 
these things are come upon thee — the blessing 
and the curse which I have set before thee — 
and thou shalt call them to mind among all the 
nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven 
thee ; and shalt return unto the Lord thy 
God, and shalt obey his voice, according to all 
that I command thee this day, thou and thy 
children, with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul ; that then the Lord will turn thy captivity 
and have compassion upon thee, and will re- 
turn and gather thee from all the nations whither 
the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any 
of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of 
heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God 
gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee ; 
and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the 
land which thy fathers possessed, and thou 
shalt possess it." Deut. xxx. 

12. With God all things are possible. The 



202 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

present ignorance, blindness, and perverseness 
of the Jews : their inveterate hatred to Chris- 
tianity, their long banishment from Jerusalem, 
and wide separation, may seem to oppose in- 
surmountable barriers ; but nothing can inter- 
cept the wise and merciful purposes of Heaven. 

13. Not for their own sakes, solely, have they 
been thus chastened, nor for their own sakes, 
alone, will they be gathered together again, but 
for the glory of God. " I do not this for your 
sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy 
name's sake, which ye have profaned among 
the heathen, which ye have profaned in the 
midst of them ; and the heathen shall know 
that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when 
I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 
For I will take you from among the heathen, 
and gather you out of all countries, and will 
bring you into your own land." 

14. At that time will the Lord give them a 
new heart, and they shall repent and keep his 
statutes. Then shall they dwell again in their 
cities, and build anew their waste places. 
" And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas 
it lay desolate, in the sight of all that passed 
by. And they shall say, This land that was 
desolate is become like the garden of Eden, 
and the waste and ruined cities are become 
fenced, and are inhabited." 

15. Already the notes of preparation are 
beginning to be heard in. different parts of 
the world ; the eyes and hearts of Israel are 
turned toward Jerusalem ; the church is waking 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 203 

up to a sense of its criminal neglect of God's 
chosen people ; many Jews have already been 
converted ; a spirit of inquiry is manifest among 
them ; Mount Zion is again becoming vocal 
with the praises of Jehovah, and a Christian 
bishop discharges his sacred duties in the holy 
city. 

16. We are under great obligations to the 
Jew for the careful preservation of God's word. 
Christ was a Jew, after the flesh ; the faithful 
martyr-apostles were Jews ; and St. Paul, the 
angel to the Gentiles, was a Jew also : and 
these obligations have not yet been discharged. 
Through their unbelief, we that believed not 
have obtained mercy ; " even so have they also 
now not believed, that through your mercy they 
also may obtain mercy." " And so all Israel 
shall be saved : as it is written, There shall 
come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn 
away ungodliness from Jacob." Well does the 
apostle inquire, " If the fall of them be the 
riches of the world, and the diminishing of 
them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more 
their fullness '!" 

17. We are deeply interested, then, in their 
recovery ; for, in their repentance and reinstate- 
ment in their country, God has a greater bless- 
ing in store for the world. " O the depth of 
the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge 
of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, 
and his ways past finding out !* 



204 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



PART IV. 

BOOKS AND WRITERS OF THE NEW 
TESTAMENT. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE EVANGELISTS MATTHEW — MARK. 

Luke i, 1-4 j 1 • The most important and inte- 
Mark i, l. resting history ever written is that of 
Christ and the Christian religion. This history- 
is contained in that portion of the Bible called the 
New Testament, and it differs from all others, 
in that it is inspired. 

2. As the very best and most learned men are 
liable to mistakes, and errors of judgment; and 
also in the history of many events, as it would 
require more than human wisdom to choose the 
most important, and neglect unnecessary trans- 
actions ; and, moreover, as the memory might 
prove treacherous, and entirely lose the recol- 
lection of some prominent circumstances, or 
give a wrong shade and coloring to the events 
related — to avoid all these evils, God bestowed 
upon the writers of this history the assistance 
of the Holy Ghost. 

3. Thus the Saviour promised his disciples, 
who became afterward the historians of his life 






BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 205 

and gospel, " The Holy Ghost shall bring all 
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have 
said unto you." John xiv, 26. It is on this 
account, because he set forth the gospel by the 
Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, that Luke 
assured his friend Theophilus that he had 
* ; perfect understanding of all things from the 
very first," and that he might rely upon its ab- 
solute correctness. 

4. This history is not all written by the 
same man, but by four different individuals. 
Neither is it one connected history, as given in 
the New Testament ; each succeeding writer 
taking up the subject where it is dropped by 
his predecessor. But each of the writers going 
over nearly the same ground, testifies what he 
himself had seen and heard, or received directly 
from the Holy Spirit. 

5. All of them do not relate the same events ; 
what is omitted by one is recorded by another. 
When the same events are alluded to by the 
different writers, different terms are used to 
describe them, and often different circumstances 
are mentioned, but always, when they are cor- 
rectly compared and understood, without the 
least contradiction. And this is one of the 
proofs of the authenticity of the Gospels — 
that different witnesses, in different, but not 
contradictory statements, confirm the same 
facts. 

6. Before we enter upon the study of this 
history it may be interesting to learn something 
of the writers themselves. As they stand in 



206 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

the Bible, their names are Matthew, Mark, 
Luke, and John. 

7. St. Matthew was the son of Alpheus. 
He was bom in Galilee, of Jewish parents. 
According to a prevalent custom at that time, 
he received another name, Levi, and is thus 
called when spoken of by St. Mark and St. 
Luke. His profession, or business, was that 
of a publican, or collector of taxes. 

8. The Jews, being under the Roman 
government, were obliged to pay tribute to the 
emperor. As they greatly disliked their taxes, 
the employment of the publican was consider- 
ed very disreputable ; but our Saviour was no 
respecter of persons, calling his apostles from 
the lowest grades in society. 

9. Matthew's usual residence was Caper- 
naum ; as his proper business was, probably, 
to collect the customs upon goods that came to 
the Sea of Galilee, and the tribute that passen- 
gers were to pay who went by water. It was 
when sitting there by the seaside, " at the 
receipt of customs," that Jesus saw him, and 
called him to be a disciple, and " he left all 
and followed him." 

10. From this time he became a constant 
companion of our Lord, witnessing his miracles 
and hearing his divine teachings, thus, with the 
influence of the Holy Ghost, rendering him 
abundantly qualified for the task of an historian. 

11. After Christ's ascension, he preached 
for eight years in the several parts of Judea ; 
and then, probably, when he was about to leave 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 207 

Judea, in order to carry the gospel to the Gen- 
tiles, he committed the gospel he had publicly 
taught to writing, and left it among the believing 
Jews as a standing record. 

12. The countries in which he preached 
were Parthia and Ethiopia; in the latter of 
which he was instrumental in the conversion 
of multitudes. He also settled churches and 
ordained ministers. Having shown his zeal in 
the ministry, his contempt of this world, and 
the most exemplary abstinence, he probably 
suffered martyrdom at Nadabar, a city of Ethio- 
pia : but, of the time and manner of his death, 
no certain accounts have come down to us. 

13. What distinguished Matthew from the 
other evangelists, is the particularity with which 
he relates the actions and discourses of our 
Lord. He alone relates the history of the 
journey of the wise men from the East, and 
the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, with 
the other parables connected ; and he has given, 
in an easy, unaffected style, more lessons of 
morality, and rules for the conduct of life, than 
either of the other evangelists. 

14. St. Mark was a Jew, although he bears a 
Roman name ; he having also a Hebrew sur- 
name of John. It is commonly supposed that 
he was the son of the sister of Barnabas — 
Mary — a pious woman of Jerusalem, at whose 
house the apostles and first Christians often 
assembled ; and where Peter came, when de- 
livered from prison by the angel of the Lord. 
Col. iv, 10 ; Acts xii. 



208 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

15. He was converted most probably under 
the preaching of Peter, whom he afterward 
served as an interpreter and amanuensis. He 
attended Peter in his travels, preaching the 
gospel in Italy and at Rome. 

16. At the request of the Christians in those 
parts he wrote the Gospel that bears his name, 
which Peter superintended and approved ; and 
this the more exhibits the humility of that 
apostle, as in this Gospel the denial of his 
Master is described with its deepest aggrava- 
tions, while his penitence is less emphatically 
noticed. 

17. As Peter, equally with St. Matthew, 
was an eye-witness of the miracles, and listen- 
ed to the discourses, of our Lord, this Gospel, 
written under his eyes, has all the authority of 
its predecessor. 

18. After his residence in Italy, Mark 
went into Egypt ; and, making Alexandria his 
residence, he preached the gospel there with 
great success. 

19. Of his death the following account is 
given : His miracles, and the derision in which 
his converts held the idols of the country, 
greatly exasperated the Egyptians, and they 
resolved upon his destruction. Being excited 
to madness upon the festival of their god 
Serapis, they broke in upon St. Mark while 
engaged in celebrating divine worship, and 
binding his feet, they dragged him through the 
streets, and other rugged places, to a precipice 
near the sea ; but for that night they thrust him 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 209 

into a dark prison, where his soul was greatly- 
strengthened by a divine vision. 

20. The next morning they commenced 
again dragging him about, till his flesh being 
torn off, and his veins emptied of blood, his 
spirit failed, and he expired. His murderers, 
not yet satisfied with their cruelty, collected his 
bleeding and mangled members, and burned 
them. But the Christians, gathering up his 
bones and ashes, entombed them near the place 
where he usually preached. 

21. "Simplicity and conciseness," says 
Home, " are the characteristics of St. Mark's 
Gospel, which, considering the copiousness 
and majesty of its subject — the variety of great 
actions it relates, and the surprising circum- 
stances that attended them, together with the 
numerous and important doctrines and precepts 
which it contains — is the shortest, the clearest, 
the most marvelous, and at the same time the 
most satisfactory history in the whole world." 



CHAPTER II. 

LUKE JOHN. 

1. St. Luke was a native of Antioch, the 
metropolis of Syria, where the disciples of 
Jesus were first called Christians. He was 
by profession a physician, and, in the famous 
university of his native city, as well as in the 
schools of Greece and Egypt, he obtained 

14 



210 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

probably one of the most finished educations of 
the times. 

2. He became first, probably, a Jewish 
proselyte, and, afterward, while Paul abode in 
Antioch, he was converted to Christianity. 
Immediately, or soon after, he became a com- 
panion of Paul, and continued with him in all 
his travels and sufferings. He was probably 
with him in his various arraignments at Jeru- 
salem, upon his disastrous voyage to Rome, and 
during his imprisonment there, administering 
to his necessities, and bearing his messages to 
the churches, until the apostle's martyrdom, 
richly meriting the affectionate title of his friend 
and brother, the " beloved physician." 

3. Of the rest of his life and of his death 
nothing satisfactory has been recorded. In 
addition to his Gospel, Luke also wrote the 
" Acts of the Apostles." Although he himself 
was not an eye-witness of the events he records 
in his Gospel, yet it was drawn from the tes- 
timony of those who were personal observers 
of the transactions, and who listened to Christ's 
discourses, while at the same time his own 
hand was guided by the Holy Ghost. 

4. The Gospel of St. Luke is more particu- 
larly addressed to the Gentiles. He dedicated 
it to Theophilus, a converted Jewish proselyte, 
and introduces many incidents into the narrative 
that would have been unnecessary if directed 
solely to the Jews. On this account he com- 
mences his history with the birth of John the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 211 

Baptist, the particulars of which were familiar 
to his own nation. 

5. Many of the most beautiful parables, not 
related by other evangelists, referring to God's 
love for the Gentiles, are given by Luke ; as the 
publican praying in the temple, the prodigal 
son, the lost piece of silver, and the merciful 
Samaritan. He also relates many interesting 
details concerning Christ's early life. 

6. He is far the best writer of the evangelists ; 
his style is " pure, copious, and flowing." He 
also, especially in the relation of our Lord's 
parables, writes with " affecting sweetness of 
manner and with genuine simplicity." 

7. St. John was by birth a Galilean, son of 
Zebedee, a fisherman of the town of Bethsaida, 
and of Salome, one of the devout women who 
waited upon our Lord's ministry. He seems 
to have been a disciple of John the Baptist, and 
is supposed to have been " that other disciple " 
spoken of in his own Gospel, as present when 
the Baptist announced Jesus to be the Lamb of 
God, and as following the Saviour to his 
abode. 

8. He was much the youngest of the apos- 
tles, and was eminently the object of our Lord's 
affectionate regard and confidence, possessing, 
as he did, a temper peculiarly mild and ami- 
able. 

9. He was one of the signally favored three 
who were permitted to witness the most private 
and sacred acts of the blessed Redeemer's life. 



212 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

He accompanied him when Jairus's daughter 
was restored to life, witnessed the surpassingly 
glorious transfiguration, and was one of Christ's 
companions in the awful agony of the garden. 

10. He seemed even to have the preference 
of the three, being styled emphatically " the dis- 
ciple whom Jesus loved," and enjoying the great 
honor of leaning upon his bosom at meals, and 
to have the mother of Christ, with the Saviour's 
dying breath, committed to his trust. 

1 1 . From this close and continued communion 
w T ith the Saviour, and with the mother of Jesus, 
he was better qualified, than any other writer, 
to give a circumstantial and authentic history 
of Jesus Christ. 

12. He remained at Jerusalem until the 
death of our Lord's mother, about fifteen years 
after Christ's ascension. He then journeyed 
into Asia Minor, and established and presided 
over seven churches in different cities, but 
made Ephesus the place of his chief resi- 
dence. 

13. Under the cruel persecution of Domitian 
he was accused of atheism and impiety, con- 
demned, and plunged into a caldron of oil, set on 
fire ; but was miraculously preserved by that 
God who once saved the three Hebrew children 
in the burning furnace. 

14. He was then banished to Patmos, a 
small island in the iEgean Sea. It was upon 
this island that God bestowed upon him those 
remarkable visions and prophetical representa- 
tions, written in the book of Revelation. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 213 

After the death of Domitian he returned into 
Asia Minor, and took charge of the churches. 

15. As some things important to the church 
had been omitted in the preceding Gospels, 
and, moreover, as certain grievous heresies had 
crept into the church, especially that of Cerin- 
thus, who denied the divine nature of Christ, 
at the solicitation of all the churches, after pro- 
claiming a general fast, and having sought the 
blessing of Heaven upon so important an under- 
taking, he commenced and finished the Gospel 
that bears his name. 

16. He passed over those circumstances in 
our Lord's life taught by other evangelists, and 
records many miracles not before written ; 
opening his book with a full and sublime view 
of Christ's divine nature, and the great object 
of his coming to this world. 

17. He gives also, at length, some of 
the most affecting discourses, delivered by 
Christ a little before his crucifixion. Although 
he is a very plain and simple writer, at times 
he is exceedingly sublime, and the whole is 
characterized with the most unaffected benevo- 
lence. John died at the good old age of a 
hundred years. 



214 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHAPTER III. 

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ST. PAUL. 

1 . The Acts of the Apostles. Next to the Gos- 
pels, in our version of the Holy Scriptures, has 
been placed, with great propriety, the book en- 
titled the Acts of the Apostles, it being the con- 
tinuation of the Gospel histories, by St. Luke, 
one of the authors of the Gospels. 

2. That Luke was the author, is affirmed by 
the unanimous testimonies of the early Chris- 
tians, and corroborated by its introduction. 
Both his Gospel and the book of Acts are ad- 
dressed by St. Luke to Theophilus, concerning 
whom the most probable opinion is, that he 
was an inquiring convert to Christianity, 
probably a native of Italy, but certainly not 
of Palestine, as Luke continually makes ex- 
planations in reference to this latter country, 
that a resident, or one familiarly acquainted 
with it, would not have needed. 

3. St. Luke appears to have accompanied 
St. Paul from Troas to Philippi ; attending 
him also in Jerusalem, and in Rome, where 
he remained two years during the apostle's first 
confinement. 

4. Accordingly we find St. Luke particularly 
mentioned in two of the epistles written by St. 
Paul, from Rome, during that imprisonment. 
Col. iv, 14 ; Philemon 24. 

5. As the book of the Acts is continued to the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 215 

end of the second year of St. Paul's imprison- 
ment, it could not have been written before the 
year A. D. 63 ; and as the death of that apostle 
is not mentioned, it is probable that the book 
was composed before that event, which is sup- 
posed to have happened A. D. 66. 

6. Home remarks, in substance, that St. 
Luke does not appear to have intended to write 
a complete ecclesiastical history of the Chris- 
tian church, during the first thirty years after our 
Saviour's ascension, nor even of St. Paul's life 
during that period ; for he has almost wholly 
omitted what passed among the Jews after the 
conversion of that apostle, and is totally silent 
concerning the spread of Christianity in the 
East and in Egypt, as well as the foundation 
of Christ's church at Rome, St. Paul's journey 
into Arabia, and many other topics, though the 
labors and sufferings of the other apostles 
could not but have afforded interesting mate- 
rials, had it been his intention to give an en- 
tire history of the church. 

7. He seems to have had two principal 
objects in view in recounting the authentic 
and important details of this instructive book. 
(1.) To relate in what manner the gifts of the 
Holy Spirit were communicated on the day of 
Pentecost, and the subsequent miracles perform- 
ed by the apostles, by which the truth of Chris- 
tianity was confirmed. 

8. An authentic account of this matter was 
necessary, because Christ had often assured 
his disciples that they should receive the Holy 



216 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL* 

Ghost. Unbelievers, therefore, whether Jews 
or heathens, might have made objections to our 
religion, if it had not been clearly demonstrated 
that these declarations were fulfilled. 

9. (2.) A second object was to deliver such 
accounts as proved the claim of the Gentiles to 
admission into the church of Christ ; a claim 
disputed by the Jews, especially at the time 
when St. Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles. 
And it was this very circumstance which excited 
the hatred of the Jews against St. Paul, and 
occasioned his imprisonment in Rome, with 
which St. Luke closes his history. On this 
account he relates the conversion of the 
Samaritans and the story of Cornelius, the 
Roman centurion, whom St. Peter baptized and 
received into the church, though he had not 
been circumcised. Hence, also, Luke relates, 
at large, the determination of the first council 
in Jerusalem in reference to the ceremonial 
law ; and, for the same reason, he is more dif- 
fuse in his account of St. Paul's conversion, 
and of his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, 
than on any other subject. 

10. It is also a probable opinion, that Luke 
relates only such events as he witnessed him- 
self, or had heard of from eye-witnesses. It 
has been well remarked that jhe narrative of 
the Acts of the Apostles is perspicuous and 
noble, especially the record of the speeches of 
Paul, Peter, &c. 

11. It is worthy of remark how well St. 
Luke has supported the character of each per- 






BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 217 

son whom he has introduced as speaking. Thus 
the speeches and discourses of Peter are 
recorded with great simplicity, and are desti- 
tute of all those ornaments which usually occur 
in the orations of the Greeks and the Romans. 
Similar to these are the speeches of St. Paul, 
which were addressed to the Jews ; but widely 
different are those of the same apostle delivered 
before heathen audiences. 

12. Paul's discourses before assemblies ac- 
customed to Grecian oratory, though not adorned 
with the flowers of rhetoric, are in language 
pointed and energetic, and the materials are 
most judiciously selected and arranged, as is 
manifest in his speech delivered at Athens, 
and in his two defenses of himself before the 
Roman governors of Judea. 

13. The Acts of the Apostles afford abun- 
dant evidence of the truth and divine origin of 
the Christian religion ; for we learn from this 
book, that the gospel was not indebted for its 
success to deceit or fraud, but that it was 
wholly the result of the mighty power of God, 
and of the excellence and efficacy of the saving 
truths which it contains. 

14. The historical details, and especially the 
incidental circumstances mentioned by St. Luke, 
so exactly correspond, and that evidently with- 
out any design on the part of the writer, with 
the accounts furnished in St. Paul's Epistles, 
and in ancient histories, both Jewish and hea- 
then, that no person who had forged such 
a history, in later ages, could have had the 



218 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

same external confirmation ; but he must have 
betrayed himself, by alluding to some customs or 
opinions which had since sprung up, or by mis- 
representing some circumstance, or employ- 
ing some phrase or expression not then in use. 

15. All these satisfactory evidences justly 
authorize us to conclude, that if any history of 
former times deserves credit, the Acts of the 
Apostles ought much more to be received and 
credited; and if this history is true, Christianity 
cannot be false ; for a doctrine so good in it- 
self, so admirably adapted to the fallen state of 
man, and attended with so many miraculous and 
divine testimonies, has all the possible marks of 
true revelation. 

16. St. Paul. Paul, who is first introduced 
to the readers of the New Testament under the 
name of Saul, (the former name being the one 
by which he was known among the Greek and 
Roman churches where he labored,) was a He- 
brew by birth, being a descendant of Abraham, 
and of the tribe of Benjamin. 

17. He was a native of Tarsus, then the 
chief city of Cilicia, a province of Asia Minor, 
lying upon the north-eastern shore of the Medi- 
terranean Sea. 

18. By birth he was also a citizen of Rome, 
a privilege which had been conferred on many 
of the inhabitants of Tarsus, they having warm- 
ly embraced the cause of one of the contending 
parties during the civil wars of the later years 
of the Roman commonwealth. 

19. His father was a Pharisee, and he him- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 219 

self was educated in the most rigid principles 
of that sect. It appears, from the inspired his- 
torian, that his sister's son, and other relatives 
residing in Jerusalem, embraced the gospel, 
and were Christians before his conversion. 
Acts xxiii, 16-22 ; Rom. xvi, 7, 11, 21. 

20. Paul was early educated in Greek liter- 
ature, and probably at Tarsus, that place being 
celebrated for its schools of learning and elo- 
quence, and his proficiency is shown by quota- 
tions made in his more advanced years from 
several Greek poets. 

21. From Tarsus he removed to Jerusalem, 
where he studied the law and Jewish traditions 
under Gamaliel, a celebrated teacher of that day. 
He appears to have been a person of great 
natural abilities, quick apprehension, strong 
passions, and firm resolution. 

22. He was also blameless in his life, strictly 
faithful to the dictates of his conscience, accord- 
ing to the knowledge which he possessed; this 
is evident from his appeals to the Jews, and 
from the great satisfaction he expresses, on a 
serious comparison and review of his former and 
latter conduct. Acts xxiii, 1 ; xxvi, 4, 5 ; Phil, 
iii, 6; 1 Tim. i, 13. 

23. He completed his education by acquiring 
the art of tent-making, in accordance with the 
practice of the Jews, among whom it was cus- 
tomary to teach youth of every grade some 
mechanical employment, by which, in case of 
necessity, they might maintain themselves 
without being burdensome to others. 



220 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

24. For some time after the death of Christ, 
and while the apostles were preaching Jesus 
and the resurrection with much boldness and 
success, in Jerusalem, Saul was a bitter enemy 
to them and their converts, and one of their 
most furious persecutors. He shared the sin 
of the murder of the proto-martyr Stephen, hold- 
ing the outer garments of the cruel assailants, 
and consenting to his death. 

25. After this, as if become the more furious 
by the sight of blood, he seeks the office of 
traveling inquisitor, journeying to the neighbor- 
ing cities to discover, arrest, and condemn to 
death, all who confessed faith in the crucified 
Jesus of Nazareth. It was on such a journey 
to Damascus that his miraculous conversion 
took place, Acts ix ; from this hour he becomes 
one of the most zealous, self-sacrificing, faithful, 
and successful ministers of the same Jesus 
whom he had thus persecuted. 

26. His history, which occupies much 
the greater part of the Acts of the Apostles, 
ends with the release of the apostle from 
his two years' imprisonment at Rome, 
A. D. 63. We have no authentic particulars 
of the few remaining days of his life. It seems 
probable, however, that immediately after he re- 
covered his liberty he went to Jerusalem, and 
that afterward he traveled through Asia Minor, 
Crete, Macedonia, and Greece, confirming his 
converts, and regulating the affairs of the dif- 
ferent churches which he had planted in these 
countries. Whether, at this time, he preached 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 221 

the gospel in Spain, as some have supposed, is 
very uncertain. 

27. It was the unanimous tradition of the 
ancient church, that St. Paul returned to Rome, 
that he underwent a second imprisonment 
there, and at last was put to death on occasion 
of a dreadful fire which happened at Rome in 
the time of Nero. It was generally believed 
that the emperor himself was the author of that 
fire ; but to remove the odium from himself, he 
chose to attribute it to the Christians, and to 
give some color to that unjust imputation," he 
persecuted them with the utmost cruelty. 

28. In this persecution, St. Peter and St. 
Paul are said to have suffered martyrdom, 
probably A. D. 66 ; and, if we may credit 
Servius, a writer of the fifth century, the for- 
mer was crucified, the latter beheaded. 

29. " All the writings of St. Paul," says a 
modern divine, "bespeak him to have been a 
man of most exalted genius, and the strongest 
abilities. His composition is peculiarly nervous 
and animated. He possessed a fervid concep- 
tion, a quick apprehension, and an immensely 
ample and liberal heart. Inheriting from nature 
distinguished powers, he carried the culture and 
improvement of them to the most exalted height 
to which human learning could push them. 

30. " He was an excellent scholar, an acute 
reasoner, a great orator, a most instructive and 
spirited writer. Longinus, a Grecian critic of 
the finest taste and discernment, classes the 
apostle Paul among the most celebrated orators 



222 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

of Greece. His speeches in the Acts of the 
Apostles are worthy of the Roman senate. 
They breathe a generous fire and fervor, are 
animated with a divine spirit of liberty and 
truth, abound with instances of as fine address 
as any of the most celebrated orations of De- 
mosthenes or Cicero can boast; and his answers, 
when at the bar, to the questions proposed to 
him by the court, have a politeness and a great- 
ness which nothing in antiquity ever exceeded. 

31. "A person possessed of natural abilities 
so signal, of literary acquirements so extensive, 
of an activity and spirit so enterprising, of an 
integrity and probity so inviolate, the wisdom 
of God judged a fit instrument to employ in dis- 
playing the banners and spreading the triumphs 
of Christianity among mankind. 

32. "A negligent greatness, if we may so 
express it, appears in his writings. Full of the 
dignity of his subject, a torrent of sacred elo- 
quence bursts forth and bears down everything 
before it with irresistible rapidity. He stays 
not to arrange and harmonize his words and 
periods, but rushes on as his vast ideas trans- 
port him, borne away by the sublimity of his 
theme. No person ever yet repented consult- 
ing the pages of St. Paul. They are, as has 
been justly stated, ■ a golden mine, in which the 
diligent workman, the deeper he digs, the more 
he will discover ; the further he examines, the 
more he will find !' " 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 223 



CHAPTER IV. 

ROMANS CORINTHIANS — GALATIANS — EPHE- 

SIANS. 

1. The Epistles of Paul. The exertions 
of St. Paul in the cause of Christianity were 
not confined to personal instruction. He watch- 
ed with paternal care over the churches which 
he had founded, and was always ready to 
strengthen the faith and regulate the conduct 
of his converts, by such directions and counsels 
as their circumstances might require : for this 
purpose he wrote fourteen epistles to churches 
or individuals, which are still extant, and form 
an important part of our canon. 

2. The Epistle to the Romans. This epis- 
tle, the fifth in the order of time, is placed first of 
all the apostolical letters, as being the longest 
and most comprehensive of all the epistles, or 
out of respect to the city of Rome, at that time 
the mistress of the world. 

3. Much unsatisfactory discussion has taken 
place in reference to the first establishment of 
the church in this city : some pretending, 
without the least probable reason, that St. 
Peter was the founder ; others, that it was 
formed under the joint labors of Peter and 
Paul. If either of these had been particularly 
interested in the first preaching of the gospel 
in Rome, it would, without doubt, have been 



224 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

alluded to, in this epistle, but there is no such 
intimation to be found in it. 

4. The most reasonable, and probably the 
true, opinion is, that the church was founded 
by some of the " strangers of Rome, Jews and 
proselytes," who heard Jesus preach at Jerusa- 
lem on the day of Pentecost, and on their return 
home preached the gospel of the kingdom to 
others, and thus originated the first Christian 
church in Rome. 

5. The epistle was written from Corinth, 
whither Aquila and Priscilla had come from 
Rome, on account, very probably, of the decree 
of banishment issued by the emperor Claudius 
against the Jews. Acts xviii, 2. Interested in 
the church by their statements, his soul burns 
within him to visit them, but this being at that 
time impossible, he sends this most instructive 
letter by Phebe, a pious Christian woman, then 
about to return to Rome. 

6. As the church of Rome was composed 
partly of heathens who had embraced the gos- 
pel, and partly of Jews, who, with many re- 
maining prejudices, believed on Jesus as the 
Messiah ; and as discussions had arisen be- 
tween them, on questions of priority and superior 
privilege, he wrote this letter to allay these con- 
tentions and to strengthen the faith of the Ro- 
man Christians against the insinuations of false 
teachers, being apprehensive lest his involun- 
tary absence from Rome should be turned by 
the latter to the prejudice of the gospel. 

7. It was probably written A. D. 57 or 58, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 225 

Macknight characterizes this epistle as "a 
writing, which for sublimity and truth of senti- 
ment, for brevity and strength of expression, for 
regularity in its structure, but, above all, for the 
unspeakable importance of the discoveries which 
it contains, stands unrivaled by any mere hu- 
man composition." 

8. The Epistle to the Corinthians. The 
church in Corinth was founded by St. Paul, 
who resided here a year and six months, be- 
tween the years 51 and 53. Soon after 
Paul left Corinth the peace of this church was 
disturbed by the entering in of false teachers, 
and by unhappy dissensions among the converts, 
some boasting that they were the followers of 
Paul, others that they were the followers of 
Apollos ; and, also, by the improper and even 
criminal courses of some who had professed 
Christianity, but still held to many of their for- 
mer heathen notions. 

9. While Paul was laboring in Ephesus he 
received information, from some of the members 
of the household of Chloe, concerning these 
disorders — that there were schisms and divi- 
sions, notorious scandals ; as the prevalence of 
impurity, incests, covetousness, lawsuits, &c; 
idolatrous communion, want of decorum in the 
house of God, profanation of the Lord's supper, 
and doubts concerning the resurrection. The 
church also sent a letter to Paul, seeking ad- 
vice in reference to marriage, things offered 
to idols, spiritual gifts, prophesying, and chari- 
table collections. 

15 



226 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

10. Clearly and satisfactorily does the apos- 
tle treat all these topics in the first epistle, ex- 
hibiting the utmost patience and tenderness, and 
yet speaking with the decision of inspiration. 

11. It was written about A. D. 57. 

12. From Ephesus Paul went to Troas, 
situated on the shore of the iEgean Sea, ex- 
pecting to meet Titus, and learn the success of 
his late visit to Corinth, in allaying dissension, 
and removing sinful practices. Not meeting 
with him here, Paul proceeded to Macedonia, 
where he found Titus, and received the desired 
intelligence. Probably from Philippi, in this 
country, the apostle wrote his second letter, 
which was sent on the return of Titus. This 
was probably a year after the first was written. 

13. That letter had been productive of happy 
effects on the part of some, but others had 
ridiculed and opposed it ; accusing him of levity 
of character, in promising to come to them 
at an early period, and not fulfilling his word ; 
with pride and tyranny, in the power he exer- 
cised over the churches ; with arrogance and 
vain-glory, and with being contemptible in his 
personal appearance. 

14. These opinions the apostle meets by 
giving the reason for his delaying his visit to 
Corinth, showing that his sentence against the 
incestuous person was not severe and tyranni- 
cal, but necessary and pious — showing the great 
success of his ministry, and the extraordinary 
and divine manifestations that had been made 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 227 

to him, and the sacrifices he had cheerfully 
made through his love for Jesus, and for souls; 
apologizing for his personal inferiority, but mag- 
nifying his office, and stirring them up to lead a 
holy life, avoiding communion with idolaters. 

15. "The most remarkable characteristic in 
the epistle is, the confidence of this apostle in 
the goodness of his cause, and in the power of 
God to bear him out in it. Opposed as he 
then was by a powerful and sagacious party, 
whose authority, reputation, and interest were 
deeply concerned, and who were ready to 
seize on everything that could discredit him, 
it is wonderful to hear him insist so firmly upon 
his apostolical authority, and so unreservedly 
appeal to the miraculous powers which he had 
exercised and conferred at Corinth. 

16. " So far from shrinking from the contest, 
as afraid of some discovery being made unfa- 
vorable to himself, or to the common cause, he, 
with great modesty and meekness, indeed, but 
with equal boldness and decision, expressly 
declares that his opposers and despisers were 
the ministers of Satan, and menaces them with 
miraculous judgments, when as many of their 
deluded hearers had been brought to repentance, 
and re-established in the faith, as proper means 
could in a reasonable time effect. It is incon- 
ceivable that a stronger internal testimony, not 
only of integrity, but of divine inspiration, can 
exist. Had there been anything of imposture 
among the Christians, it was next to impossi- 



228 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ble but such a conduct must have occasioned a 
disclosure of it." 

17. The Epistle to the Galatians. The 
gospel was early preached in the province of 
Galatia, by St. Paul, and churches established. 
In the Acts of the Apostles we learn that he 
visited this country more than once; the first 
time about the year 50, (Acts xvi, 6,) and the 
second, about the year 54 or 55. 

18. Probably some time between these two 
visits, at the end of 52, or beginning of 53, the 
epistle was written from Corinth, and not from 
Rome, as the subscription, which is undoubtedly 
spurious, affirms ; for St. Paul's first journey to 
Rome did not take place until at least ten years 
after the conversion of the Galatians. 

19. Judaizing teachers, soon after Paul's de- 
parture, crept into these churches, composed of 
Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity, 
who still felt, in some degree, their national 
prejudices toward each other. These teachers 
roused the circumcised portion of the church 
against the uncircumcised, denying the authority 
of Paul, insisting upon the ceremonial law as 
still binding upon all, Gentile as well as Jew, 
as if the gospel of Jesus Christ alone were not 
sufficient to justify and save them. Some had 
been carried away by these doctrines, and had 
already submitted to circumcision. 

20. Such were the circumstances that occa- 
sioned St. Paul to write this epistle with his 
own hand, contrary to his usual practice of 
dictating his letters to an amanuensis. He 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 229 

asserts his apostolical character and authority. 
He repeats his views of the terms of salvation, 
to confirm the Galatian churches in the faith of 
Christ, especially with respect to the important 
point of justification by faith alone ; exposing 
the errors which had been disseminated among 
them, by demonstrating to them the true nature 
and use of the moral and ceremonial law, and re- 
viving again the principles of Christianity which 
he had taught when he first preached the gos- 
pel to them. 

21. The Epistle to the Ephesians. The 
Church at Ephesus, also, was first established 
by St. Paul, about A. D. 54 ; at which time he 
reasoned with the Jews, in their synagogue, three 
months, but being called away to keep a feast 
at Jerusalem, he promised an early return. 
Acts xviii, 19-21. 

22. Early the following year he came to 
Ephesus again, and preached the word with so 
much success, that a church, chiefly composed 
of Gentile converts, was gathered. The apos- 
tle remained with them about three years, and 
a year after, returning from Macedonia to Jeru- 
salem, he sent for the elders of the Ephesian 
church to meet him at Miletus. There he took 
an affectionate leave of them, as one that should 
see them no more ; appealing to them with 
what fidelity he had discharged his ministry 
among them, and exhorting them to " take heed 
unto themselves and unto the flock " committed 
to their care, lest they should be corrupted by 
seducing teachers who would arise among 



230 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

them and attempt to seduce them from the 
truth. 

23. The subscription to this epistle states, 
that it was written from Rome, and sent to the 
Ephesians by Tychicus, who was also the 
bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians, the 
similarity of which, in style and subject, shows 
that it was written at the same time. It is 
evident that this epistle was written during St. 
Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, from its 
allusion to his confinement, chap, iii, 1 ; iv, 1 ; 
vi, 20 ; and as he does not express any hope of 
a speedy release, which he does in his other 
epistles sent from this city, it is probable that 
it was written during the early part of his 
imprisonment, soon after he arrived at Rome, 
about A. D. 61. 

24. As St. Paul was, in a peculiar manner, 
the apostle of the Gentiles, and was now a 
prisoner in Rome, in consequence of his 
having provoked the Jews, by asserting that 
the observance of the Mosaic law was not 
necessary to obtain the favor of God, he was 
apprehensive lest advantage should be taken 
of his confinement to unsettle the minds 
of his Ephesian converts, who were almost 
wholly Gentiles. Hearing, however, that they 
stood firm in the faith of Christ, he wrote this 
epistle in order to establish them in that faith, 
and to give them more exalted views of the 
love of God, and of the excellence and dignity 
of Christ ; and at the same time to fortify their 
minds against the scandal of the cross. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 231 

25. With this view he shows them that they 
were saved by grace ; and that however wretch- 
ed they once were, now they had equal privi- 
leges with the Jews. He encourages them to 
persevere, by declaring with what steadfastness 
he suffered for the truth, and with what earnest- 
ness he prayed for their establishment and 
continuance in it ; and urging them to walk 
worthy of their high profession, and faithfully 
to perform the common and special duties of 
religion. 

26. The style of this epistle is exceedingly 
animated, he being overjoyed at the happy in- 
telligence of the faith and holiness of the church 
at Ephesus. " No real Christian," says Dr. 
Macknight, " can read the doctrinal part of the 
Epistle to the Ephesians, without being im- 
pressed and roused by it, as by the sound of a 
trumpet." 



CHAPTER V. 

PHILIPPIANS— -COLOSSIANS— THE S SAL ONI AN S 
— TIMOTHY. 

1. This epistle was written by St. Paul from 
Rome, during his imprisonment, as is manifest 
from various allusions contained in the epistle 
itself, chapter i, 7, 13 ; iv, 22. 

2. It was written, probably, toward the end 
of his confinement, as he meditates sending 
away his confidential assistant and son in the 
gospel ; and also speaks of an early visit to 
Philippi, chapter ii, 19-26. 



232 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

3. This is a peculiarly gratifying and inte- 
resting epistle. Philippi was the first city in 
Europe in which Paul preached, and here the 
first European church was formed. This church 
seems to have remained peculiarly steadfast in 
the apostle's doctrine and discipline, and was 
not dishonored by the controversies and irregu- 
larities of the other churches. 

4. Hence the epistle is, as Home observes, 
the only one of St. Paul's letters to the churches 
in which not one censure is expressed or im- 
plied against any of its members ; but, on the 
contrary, sentiments of unqualified commenda- 
tion and confidence pervade every part of the 
epistle. Its style is singularly animated, affec- 
tionate, and pleasing. 

5. "It moreover appears that the church at 
Philippi had on all occasions manifested the 
most affectionate and generous interest in the 
apostle's welfare and comfort. When the gos- 
pel was first preached in Macedonia, no other 
church except that of Philippi contributed to 
his support. Although Thessalonica was the 
chief city of the province, yet when the apostle 
was there, the considerate Philippians twice sent 
him money, lest the success of the great cause 
in which they felt so much interest might be 
hindered, by his becoming burdensome to the 
Thessalonians, chapter iv, 15, 16. They did 
the same when he was at the wealthy city of 
Corinth, and, ' to cut off occasion from them that 
desired occasion,' declined to accept the wages 
of his labor from the church there. And now, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 233 

when the kind-hearted Philippians heard or fear- 
ed that their venerated teacher, in imprisonment 
at Rome, needed assistance, they hastened to 
send to him Epaphroditus, one of their pastors, 
with supplies of money. On his return home, 
Paul sent by him this letter, in which he 
gratefully acknowledges their kindness to 
him. 

6. " From the manner in which he expresses 
himself, we learn, with some surprise, that he 
had really been in circumstances of consider- 
able want at Rome ; but this may be easily ac- 
counted for, by the recollection, that not having 
been the instrument of the conversion of the Ro- 
mans, he did not think himself entitled to receive 
his support from them ; while in most of the other 
churches there were factions opposed to him, 
and from such churches it was his rule not to 
accept assistance. 

7. " We may also consider that his situation 
at Rome, as a prisoner, probably precluded him 
from deriving much advantage from his trade. 
Under this concurrence of circumstances, it so 
happened that the church at Philippi was the 
only one to which the apostle could concede 
the privilege and honor of ministering to his 
wants." 

8. The Epistle to the Colossians. The town 
of Colossae lay in the southern part of Phrygia, 
near to Laodicea and Hieropolis, which are 
mentioned together in chapter iv, 13. 

9. Though Paul traveled through Phrygia, 
as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, we 



234 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

have no account of his founding a church in 
this town; on the other hand, from an inti- 
mation given in the epistle, that they had 
" not seen his face in the flesh," it is proba- 
ble that this church was founded by some 
other person. 

10. It is not improbable that Epaphras, men- 
tioned in chapter i, 7, was one of the earliest 
teachers, if not the founder. It appears from 
Acts xix, 10, that during Paul's residence at 
Ephesus, many, both Jews and Greeks, came 
from various parts of Asia to hear the gospel ; 
and Michaelis supposes that several Colossians, 
and especially Philemon, may have been of 
this number. He also adds, " As St. Paul 
subjoins the name of Timothy to his own, 
(chap, i, 1,) it is not improbable that Timothy 
had taught Christianity at Colossae. Through- 
out the whole of the first chapter St. Paul 
speaks in their joint names, and uses the plural 
c we,' except where the subject relates to his 
own imprisonment, and when Timothy there- 
fore could not be included." 

11. There is a remarkable similarity between 
this epistle and that to the Ephesians ; so much 
so, that the above writer remarks : " Whoever 
would understand these epistles must read them 
together ; for the one is in most places a com- 
mentary upon the other ; the meaning of single 
passages in one epistle, which alone might be 
variously interpreted, being determined in par- 
allel passages in the other epistle." 

12. It seems probable that the two epistles 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 235 

were written nearly at the same time. This is 
further confirmed by the subscription, from 
which it appears that this, as well as the Epis- 
tle to the Ephesians, was sent from Rome to 
Asia Minor, by the hand of Tychicus. From 
the present epistle we also learn that Onesimus 
was with him ; and consequently that the 
Epistle to Philemon was dispatched at the 
same time. 

13. The occasion of the epistle was the 
coming of Epaphras, who had been delegated 
by the church to visit the imprisoned apostle, 
and, laying before him their difficulties, seek 
his advice. These troubles arose from the 
presence of Judaizing and semi-pagan teachers, 
who introduced, in connection with a partial 
view of Christianity, the ceremonial law, or 
numerous pagan superstitions, and thus under- 
valued the gospel as the only and entirely 
sufficient means of salvation. These difficulties 
are all patiently considered and clearly answer- 
ed by the apostle in his letter. 

14. The Epistle to the Thessalonians. A 
Christian church was first established in Thes- 
salonica by St. Paul, about A. D. 50. A most 
interesting account of the introduction of the 
gospel into this city is given in the Acts of the 
Apostles, chapter xvii. 

15. The church was composed of Jewish 
and Gentile converts, the latter being the most 
numerous. The unbelieving Jews, however, 
having stirred up a persecution against him and 
his company, they were forced to flee to Bersea, 



236 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and thence to Athens, from which city he pro- 
ceeded to Corinth. 

16. Prevented from visiting them again as he 
intended, he sent Silas and Timothy in his 
stead, and, on their return to him from Macedo- 
nia, he wrote his first epistle to them, A. D. 52, 
from Corinth, and not from Athens, as the spu- 
rious subscription of the epistle imports. 

17. The letter was occasioned by the favor- 
able and comforting reports received from them 
by Timothy, of their steadfastness in the faith. 
He writes to confirm them in their faithfulness, 
lest they might be turned aside by the persecu- 
tions of the unbelieving Jews, and also to ex- 
cite them to a holy deportment, becoming their 
high and holy calling. 

18. The second epistle was evidently written 
soon after the first, and from the same place ; 
for Silvanus or Silas, and Timotheus, were still 
with him when it was written — both their 
names being joined to Paul's in their inscrip- 
tion of this, as of the former epistle, and both of 
them left him on his departure from Corinth. 
Acts xviii, 18. 

19. It appears to have been occasioned by 
the intelligence brought back by the person who 
had borne the former epistle to Thessalonica, 
that the Thessalonians had so far mistaken a 
passage in that letter, as to apprehend him to 
intimate that the second coming of Christ, 
and the end of the world, were close at hand ; 
in consequence of w r hich they became anxious 
and alarmed, laying aside their secular business, 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 237 

as incompatible with suitable preparation for 
that important and awful event. 

20. After again commending their faith and 
charity, he proceeds to rectify their mistakes, 
informing them that very remarkable events 
must transpire before that day — even a general 
apostasy in the church, from which he thanks 
God, in their behalf, that they have escaped, 
and exhorts them to watchfulness and faithful- 
ness, as the most secure preparation against 
the great day of the Lord. 

21. The Epistles of Timothy. Timothy 
was a convert and favorite disciple of St. Paul. 
He was a native of Lystra, in Lycaonia; his 
father was a Gentile, but his mother, whose 
name was Eunice, was a Jewess, and educated 
her son with great care in her own religion. 

22. St. Paul styles him, in his first letter to 
him, " his own son in the faith." It is probable 
that his conversion, and that of Eunice, his 
mother, and Lois, his grandmother, took place 
when St. Paul preached at Lystra, A. D. 46. 

23. Upon St. Paul's leaving Lystra, in the 
course of his second apostolical journey, he 
was induced to take Timothy with him, on ac- 
count of his excellent character, and the zeal 
which, young as he was, he had already shown 
in the cause of Christianity ; but before they 
set out St. Paul caused him to be circumcised, 
not as necessary to his salvation, but to avoid 
giving offense to the Jews, he being a Jew in 
the maternal line. 

24. Timothy was regularly appointed to the 



238 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ministerial office by the laying on of hands of 
St. Paul, together with other ministers then 
assembled. From this time he acted as a 
minister of the gospel, generally attending on 
St. Paul, but sometimes employed by him in 
other places ; he was very diligent and useful, 
and is always mentioned with great esteem and 
affection by St. Paul, who joins his name with 
his own in the inscription of six of his epistles. 

25. Ecclesiastical history informs us that 
Timothy became bishop of Ephesus, and suf- 
fered martyrdom in that city, some years after 
the death of St. Paul. 

26. It is difficult to determine the date of the 
first epistle, although the most probable opinion 
is, that it was about A. D. 64. Timothy having 
been left at Ephesus, to regulate the affairs of 
the church in that city, St. Paul wrote this 
epistle chiefly to instruct him in the choice of 
proper officers in the church, as well as in the 
exercise of a regular ministry. 

27. Another and very important part of the 
apostle's design was, to caution this young 
evangelist against the influence of those false 
teachers, who, by their nice distinctions and 
endless controversies, had corrupted the purity 
and simplicity of the gospel ; to press upon 
him, in all his preaching, a constant regard to 
the interests of practical religion ; and to ani- 
mate him to the greatest diligence, fidelity, and 
zeal, in the discharge of his office. 

28. It is evident that Paul was a prisoner 
when he wrote the second epistle ; and proba- 



BIBLE SCHOLAK'S MANUAL. 239 

bly it was during his second imprisonment at 
Rome, and near the end of his life, about 
A. D. 65. The immediate design of Paul in 
writing this epistle to Timothy, was to apprise 
him of the circumstances that had befallen 
him during his second imprisonment at Rome, 
and to request him to come to him before 
the ensuing winter. 

29. Being uncertain whether he should live 
so long, he gives him in this letter a variety of 
advices, charges, and encouragements, for the 
faithful discharge of his ministerial functions, 
with the solemnity and affection of a dying 
parent. 

30. "As this epistle was written to St. Paul's 
most intimate friend, under the miseries of a 
jail, and the near prospect of death, and was not 
by him designed for the use of others, it may 
serve to exhibit the temper and character of the 
apostle, and to convince us that he was no de- 
ceiver, but sincerely believed the doctrines 
which he preached. 'This excellent writing, 
therefore, will be read by the disciples of Christ, 
to the end of the world, with the highest satis- 
faction. And the impression which it must 
have on their minds will often be recollected 
by them with the greatest effect, for the con- 
firmation of their faith in the gospel, and their 
consolation under all the evils which their ad- 
herence to the gospel may bring upon them.'" 

31. "Imagine," says Dr. Benson, " a pious 
father, under sentence of death for his piety 
and benevolence to mankind, writing to a duti- 



240 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

fill and affectionate son, that he might see and 
embrace him again before he left the world ; 
particularly that he might leave with him his 
dying commands, and charge him to live and 
suffer as he had done — and you will have the 
frame of the apostle's mind during the writing 
of the whole epistle." 



CHAPTER VI. 

TITUS — PHILEMON — HEBREWS. 

1. The Epistle to Titus. The name of this 
disciple, and probable convert of St. Paul, does 
not occur in the Acts of the Apostles. The 
few particulars which are known of him are 
collected from the epistles of St. Paul. 

2. From these we learn that he was a Greek, 
but it is not recorded to what city he belonged. 
St. Paul styles him " his own son according 
to the common faith," from which it is inferred 
that he was converted through his instrument- 
ality, but when is not known. 

3. He is first mentioned as going from Anti- 
och to the council at Jerusalem, A. D. 49 ; 
and, upon that occasion, St. Paul says, he 
would not allow him to be circumcised, as he 
was born of Gentile parents. He probably 
accompanied St. Paul in his second apostolical 
journey, and from that time he seems to have 
been constantly employed by him in the propa- 
gation of the gospeL 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 241 

4. St. Paul sent him from Ephesus with his 
First Epistle to the Corinthians, and with a com- 
mission to inquire into the state of the church 
at Corinth ; and send him thither again from 
Macedonia with his second epistle, and to for- 
ward the collections for the saints in Judea. 
From this time we hear nothing of Titus till he 
was left by St. Paul in Crete, after his first im- 
prisonment at Rome, to " set in order the things 
that were wanting, and to ordain elders in every 
city." 

5. It is probable that he went thence to join 
St. Paul at Nicopolis, that they went together 
to Crete, to visit the churches there, and thence 
to Rome. 

6. During St. Paul's second imprisonment at 
Rome, Titus went into Dalmatia ; and after the 
apostle's death he is said to have returned to 
Crete, and to have died there in the ninety- 
fourth year of his age. 

7. Probably about A. D. 64, after Paul's 
liberation from his first imprisonment, and while 
Titus was preaching in the Island of Crete, this 
letter was sent to him by his father in the 
gospel. 

8. It was intended to assist him, by proper 
counsels and exhortations, in his responsible 
office as a presiding minister, settling and ar- 
ranging the several churches on the island ; 
giving him also particular instructions concern- 
ing his behavior toward the Judaizing teachers, 
who endeavored to prevent the faith, and dis- 
turb the peace of the Christian church. 

16 



242 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

9. The Epistle to Philemon. Philemon was 
a wealthy Christian of Colossee, whose slave, 
Onesimus, having fled from him to Rome, was 
converted by the preaching of St. Paul, and 
sent back to his master with the admirable 
letter that forms the Epistle to Philemon. 

10. Very little is known definitely of Phile- 
mon, further than that he was a Gentile con- 
vert, converted under the ministry of Paul, on a 
visit to Ephesus, or under some one of Paul's 
assistants sent from Ephesus to Colossse, to 
preach the gospel there. 

11. The letter was probably written during 
the apostle's first imprisonment, near his release, 
A. D. 62 or 63, and was sent, together with the 
Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, by 
Tychicus and Onesimus. 

12. Whether Philemon pardoned or pun- 
ished Onesimus, is a circumstance concern- 
ing which we have no information. From the 
earnestness with which the apostle solicited 
his pardon, and from the generosity and good- 
ness of Philemon's disposition, it is conjectured 
that he not only pardoned Onesimus, but even 
gave him his freedom, in compliance with the 
apostle's expressed confidence, "that he would 
do more than he had asked." The primitive 
Christians preserving this epistle, and placing 
it in the canon, is an additional evidence of 
this. 

13. " The whole of this epistle is indeed a 
most beautiful composition. Such deference 
and respect for Philemon, such affection and 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 243 

concern for Onesimus, such distant but just 
insinuation, such a genteel and fine address 
pervade the whole, that this alone might be 
sufficient to convince us that Paul was not 
unacquainted with the world, and was not that 
weak and visionary enthusiast which the ene- 
mies of revelation have sometimes represented 
him to be. 

14. "It is indeed impossible to peruse this 
admirable epistle without being touched with the 
delicacy of sentiment and the masterly address 
that appear in every part of it. We see here, 
in a most striking light, how perfectly consistent 
true politeness is, not only with all the warmth 
and sincerity of the friend, but even with the 
dignity of the Christian, and the apostle. Every 
word has its force and propriety. With what 
dignity and authority does Paul entreat, though 
a prisoner ! With what condescension and 
humility does he command, though an apostle ! 
And if this letter were to be considered in no 
other point of view than as a mere human com- 
position, it must be allowed to be a master-piece 
of its kind." 

15. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Concerning 
no book in the New Testament has there been 
more controversy than about this epistle — whe- 
ther it is genuine ? in what language it was 
written ? by whom ? where and to whom it was 
written ? — these are questions that have caused 
Biblical scholars no small amount of investiga- 
tion. 

16. The absence of the usual apostolical in- 



244 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

troduction has led some to question whether 
this be an epistle, or a treatise upon the subjects 
to which it refers. But the characteristics of 
an epistle are evidently seen in it. Not only- 
does the second person plural, ye, continually 
occur in it, but there are allusions to particular 
circumstances, (chap, v, 11 ; vi, 9, &c.,) and 
the whole concludes with the promise of a visit, 
and with various salutations. 

17. With respect to the language — nearly 
all modern writers on the subject seem to agree 
that it was originally written in Greek, as we 
now have it, although it was an ancient opinion 
that it was originally composed in Hebrew, and 
translated into Greek, by either Luke or Barna- 
bas. 

18. Different writers have ascribed this 
epistle to Barnabas, Luke, Silas, Apollos, or 
Clement of Rome ; objecting to St. Paul as the 
author, from the fact that his name is not men- 
tioned, and that the style is different from the 
other epistle. But these opinions have been 
met by such critics as Home and Professor 
Stewart, with overwhelming testimonies on the 
other side of the question ; most satisfactorily 
proving that the Epistle to the Hebrews was 
written by St Paul, and that there can be 
scarcely a possibility that it could have been 
written by any one else. 

19. Intimations contained in the epistle give 
evidence that it was written toward the end of 
his first imprisonment at Rome, or before he 
left Italy after his release. It could not possi- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 245 

bly have been written after the destruction of 
the Jewish temple, and the cessation of its 
ordinances. 

20. There has been some difference of 
opinion with regard to the * Hebrews" to whom 
this epistle is addressed. Some suppose it 
denotes those Jews, who from persecution, or 
forewarned of the approaching destruction of 
Jerusalem, had left that city, and were scattered 
throughout Asia Minor. But there seems a 
greater probability in the more ancient opinion, 
held also by many of the modern critics, that 
this epistle was intended for the use of the 
Jewish converts in Palestine, who were called 
Hebrews, to distinguish them from Jews in 
foreign countries, who were styled Hellenists 
and Grecians. 

21. The object of the writer manifestly is, to 
cheer and reassure them under the discourage- 
ments which they sustained, and the threats, 
reproaches, and persecutions, to which they 
were exposed from the unbelieving Jews. 

22. " The Epistle to the Hebrews," Dr. 
Hales observes, " is a masterly supplement to 
the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, and 
also a luminous commentary on them, showing 
that all the legal dispensation was originally 
designed to be superseded by the new and 
better covenant of the Christian dispensation, 
in a connected chain of argument, evincing the 
profoundest knowledge of both. 

23. " The natural excellence of this epistle, 
as connecting the Old Testament and the New 



246 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

in the most convincing and instructive manner, 
and elucidating both more fully than any other 
epistle, or perhaps than all of them, places its 
divine inspiration beyond all doubt. 

24. " We here find the great doctrines which 
are set forth in other parts of the New Testa- 
ment, stated, proved, and applied to practical 
purposes, in the most impressive manner." 



CHAPTER VII. 

ST. JAMES AND HIS EPISTLE. 

1. St. James and his Epistle. James, the 
author of the epistle bearing his name, was 
surnamed the Less, partly to distinguish him 
from the other James, the son of Zebedee, and 
brother of the apostle John, who was executed 
at Jerusalem by Herod Agrippa, and probably, 
also, because he was lower in stature. 

2. He was the son of Alpheus, and is like- 
wise called the brother, or near relation, of our 
Lord. That he was an apostle, is evident 
from several passages in the New Testament, 
though it does not appear when his designation 
to this office took place, nor are any particulars 
recorded of him in the Gospels. 

3. In the Acts, and in St. Paul's Epistles, he 
is several times mentioned with great distinction. 
He seems to have been appointed by the other 
apostles, probably soon after the martyrdom of 
St. Stephen, to reside at Jerusalem, and to 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 247 

superintend the affairs of the church there, 
while the rest of the apostles traveled in other 
countries. His near relation to our Lord was 
probably the reason of his being selected to 
this honorable office, the duties of which he 
discharged with such inflexible integrity and 
holy zeal, that he obtained the appellation of 
James the Just. 

4. He presided in the important council that 
met in Jerusalem, for the purpose of settling the 
question whether it was necessary that Gentile 
converts should be circumcised, and pronounced 
the decision of the apostles in a most clear and 
dignified manner. 

5. According to Hegesippus, an ecclesiastical 
historian of the second century, his life was 
violently terminated by martyrdom. Having 
made a public declaration of his faith in Christ, 
the scribes and Pharisees excited a tumult 
among the Jews, which began at the temple ; 
or at least they availed themselves of a general 
disturbance, however it might have originated, 
and demanded of James a public and explicit 
declaration of his sentiments concerning the 
character of Christ. 

6. The apostle, standing on an eminence 
or battlement of the temple, whence he could be 
heard by the assembled multitude, avowed his 
faith, and maintained his opinion that Jesus 
was the Messiah. The Jews were exasperated, 
and precipitated him from the temple, and, as he 
was not killed by the fall, they began to cast 
stones at him. The holy apostle, kneeling down, 



248 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

prayed to God to forgive his murderers, one of 
whom, at length, struck him with a long pole, 
which terminated his life, about the time of the 
passover, A. D. 62. 

7. The epistle is generally believed to have 
been written a short time before the death of 
St. James. 

8. Bishop Tomline considers that the imme- 
diate design of the epistle was to animate the 
Jewish Christians to support, with fortitude 
and patience, any sufferings to which they might 
be exposed, and to enforce the genuine doctrines 
and practices of the gospel, in opposition to the 
errors and vices that prevailed among them. 

9. The principal source of these errors and 
vices was a misinterpretation of St. Paul's doc- 
trine of justification by faith without the works 
of the law, that is, as the apostle meant it, with- 
out the observance of the rites and ceremonies 
of the Mosaic dispensation ; but hence, some 
had most unwarrantably inferred, that moral 
duties were not essential to salvation, and had 
therefore abandoned themselves to every species 
of licentiousness and profligacy. 

10. All this the apostle rebukes with just 
severity; and enforces, at the peril of divine 
judgments, the strictest morality and purity. 
He intimates the approaching destruction of 
Jerusalem, and closes with exhortations to 
patience, devotion, and an anxious care for the 
salvation of others. 

11. " This epistle is one of the most instruc- 
tive in the New Testament. Its style possesses 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 249 

all that beautiful and elegant simplicity which 
so eminently characterizes the sacred writers. 
Having been written with the design of refuting 
particular errors, which had been introduced 
among the Jewish Christians, it is not so re- 
plete with the peculiar doctrines of Christianity 
as the epistles of St. Paul, or, indeed, as the 
other apostolical epistles ; but it contains an 
admirable summary of those practical duties 
which are incumbent on all believers, and 
which it enforces in a manner equally elegant 
and affectionate." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

PETER AND HIS EPISTLES. 

1. St. Peter and his Epistles. Peter, one 
of the twelve apostles, at first called Simon, 
and afterward surnamed Cephas, or Peter, 
signifying stone or rock, was the son of Jonas, 
or Jonah, and was born at Bethsaida, on the 
coast of the Sea of Galilee. 

2. His brother Andrew, who had been a dis- 
ciple of John the Baptist, and first became a 
follower of Jesus Christ, pursued jointly with 
him the occupation of fisherman on the sea. 
Andrew was present when John the Baptist 
pointed out Jesus to his disciples, and added, 
" Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the 
sin of the world;" and meeting Simon shortly 
afterward, said, " We have found the Messiah," 



250 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

and then brought him to Jesus. From this 
time they became the companions, and after- 
ward the apostles, of our Lord. 

3. Peter, in connection with James and 
John, was honored with his master's peculiar 
intimacy ; they three being alone present when 
the daughter of Jairus was raised to life, when 
he was transfigured on the mount, and during 
his agony in the garden. On various other 
occasions Peter received particular marks of 
his Master's confidence. 

4. At the time of his call to the apostleship 
he was married, and seems to have removed 
in consequence from Bethsaida to Capernaum, 
where his wife's family resided. It appears 
also that when our Lord left Nazareth, and 
came and dwelt in Capernaum, he took up his 
occasional residence at Peter's house, whither 
the people resorted to him. 

5. When Jesus, in private, asked his dis- 
ciples, first, what opinion people entertained of 
him ; next, what was their own opinion — " Simon 
Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, 
the Son of the living God." Having received 
this answer, Jesus declared Peter blessed on 
account of his faith ; and in allusion to the sig- 
nification of his name (meaning a stone) added: 
" Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will 
build my church." Matt, xvi, 16, &c. 

6. Some writers are of opinion that these 
things were spoken to St. Peter alone, for the pur- 
pose of conferring on him privileges and powers 
not granted to the rest of the apostles — a favorite 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 251 

but groundless position of the Roman Catholics, 
who from it attempt to justify the monstrous 
assumptions of supremacy, both temporal and 
spiritual, of the pope of Rome ; but others, with 
more reason, suppose, that though Jesus directed 
his discourse to St. Peter, it was intended for 
them all ; and that the honors and powers 
granted to St. Peter, by name, were conferred 
on them all equally. 

7. For no one will say that Christ's church 
was built upon St. Peter singly ; it was built on 
the foundation of all the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner- 
stone. As little can any one say that the 
power of binding and loosing was confined to St. 
Peter, seeing it was declared afterward to be- 
long to all the aposles. Matt, xviii, 18; John 
xx, 23. 

8. St. Peter likewise made his confession 
in answer to a question which Jesus put to 
all his apostles, which confession was cer- 
tainly made in the name of the whole ; and 
therefore what Jesus said to him in reply was 
designed for the whole without distinction ; ex- 
cepting this, which was peculiar to him — that he 
was to be the first, after the descent of the Holy 
Ghost, who should preach the gospel to the 
Jews, and then to the Gentiles ; an honor 
which was conferred on St. Peter in the ex- 
pression, "I will give thee the keys," &c. 

9. In the Gospel history of this apostle the 
distinguishing features of his character are very 
signally portrayed, and in a manner that en- 



252 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

hances the credibility of the sacred historians, 
inasmuch as they have blended, without dis- 
guise, traits of precipitancy and presumption, 
with the honorable testimony which the narra- 
tive of facts affords to the sincerity of his 
attachment to Christ, and the fervor of his zeal 
in the cause of his blessed Master. 

10. His presumption and self-confidence ap- 
pear in his solemn pledge that he would never 
abandon his Master, and his weakness, in his 
subsequent denial of Christ ; for though he fol- 
lowed him afar off to the high priest's palace, 
when the other disciples fled, yet while there 
he thrice disowned him, under circumstances 
peculiarly aggravating. 

11. It does not appear that Peter followed 
Christ any further ; probably remorse and 
shame prevented him from attending the 
crucifixion, as we find St. John did. On the 
day of his resurrection, after appearing to the 
women, the next person to whom our Lord 
showed himself was Peter. On another occa- 
sion, our Lord gave him an opportunity of thrice 
professing his love for him, and charged him to 
feed the flock of Christ with fidelity and ten- 
derness. 

12. Of the humility and piety of St. Peter, as 
well as of his noble and determined spirit, 
manifested in his fearless addresses before the 
enemies of the little church in Jerusalem, and 
his zealous labors and sufferings, a full account 
is given in the first chapters of the Acts of the 
Apostles. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 253 

13. We have no certain information respecting 
his final labors. He probably traveled and 
preached throughout Asia Minor, until at length, 
in the course of the year A. D. 63, he reached 
Rome, according to the general tradition of 
antiquity. 

14. This was after Paul's departure from that 
city, being released from his first imprisonment, 
and during the reign of the emperor Nero. 
After preaching the gospel here for some time 
he was crucified, as it is said, according to his 
own request, with his head downward — not 
considering himself worthy of receiving his 
death in the same way as the blessed Master 
whom he had denied. Ancient tradition also 
asserts that his wife suffered martyrdom in this 
city a short time before him. 

15. The Epistles of Peter. We are indebted 
to the apostle Peter for two epistles, which 
constitute a valuable part of the inspired 
writings. 

16. It is supposed that these epistles were 
written to the Jewish Christians, scattered 
throughout Asia Minor, and afflicted in their 
dispersion, among whom he had labored. 

17. The apostle, in these epistles, speaks of 
" the church which is at Babylon," as the place 
of his ministry at the time of writing the letters, 
and from this some have supposed that he did 
not go to Rome, but made Babylon, in Persia, 
the scene of his labors ; but the most probable 
opinion is, that the term Babylon is a figurative 
expression for Rome, and it is thought that 



254 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Peter and John gave to Rome the name of 
Babylon, figuratively to signify that it would 
resemble Babylon in its idolatry, and in its op- 
position to, and persecution of, the church of 
God ; and that, like Babylon, it will be utterly 
destroyed. 

18. The first epistle was written about 
A. D. 64. The design of this epistle is to 
comfort those persecuted Jewish Christians 
scattered in different directions, to support them 
under their afflictions and trials, and also to 
instruct them how to behave under persecution. 

19. It likewise appears from the history of 
that time, that the Jews were then uneasy un- 
der the Roman yoke, and that the destruction of 
their polity was approaching. On this account 
the Christians are exhorted to honor the empe- 
ror, (Nero,) and the presidents whom he sent 
into the provinces, and to avoid all grounds of 
being suspected of sedition, or other crimes that 
would affect the peace and welfare of society. 

20. And, finally, as their character and con- 
duct were liable to be aspersed and misrepresent- 
ed by their enemies, they are exhorted to lead 
a holy life, that they might stop the mouths of 
their enemies, put their calumniators to shame, 
and win over others to their religion by their 
holy and Christian conversation. 

21. The second epistle was written soon after 
the first, and when St. Peter was near his death, 
as appears from chap, i, 14. Dr. Lardner thinks 
it not unlikely that soon after the apostle had 
sent away Silvanus with his first letter to the 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 255 

Christians in Pontus, Galacia, Cappadocia, 
Asia Minor, and Bithynia, some persons came 
from those countries to Rome, (whither there 
was a frequent and general resort from all parts,) 
who brought him information concerning the 
state of religion among them. 

22. These accounts induced him to write a 
second time, most probably at the beginning 
of A. D. 65, in order to strengthen in the faith 
the Christians among whom he had labored. 
The design of the apostle is to establish the 
Hebrew Christians in the truth and profession 
of the gospel ; to caution them against false 
teachers, whose tenets and practices the writer 
largely describes ; and to warn them to disregard 
those profane scoffers, who made, or should 
make, a mock of Christ's coming to judgment ; 
which having asserted and described, he exhorts 
them to prepare for that event, by a holy and 
unblamable conversation. 



CHAPTER IX. 

EPISTLES OF JOHN— REVELATION — JTJDE. 

1. The Epistles of St. John. Although the 
name of the apostle John is not prefixed to, or 
contained in, these epistles, they have been in- 
variably, and with unquestionable correctness, 
ascribed to him from the very first ages. 

2. The apostle's studied omission of his own 
name in the Gospel accounts for its being want- 



256 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

ing in these books, and strengthens rather than 
impairs his claim to be the author of the epistles. 
The remarkable analogy of style and sentiment 
also offers most decisive evidence for the same 
conclusion. 

3. Different opinions have been held as to 
the time when the epistles were written ; some 
believing they were written after the destruction 
of Jerusalem, and toward the end of the first 
century ; but the most probable opinion is, that 
they were written before this event, about A. D. 
68 or 69. 

4. It cannot be determined from whence, or 
to whom, the epistles were written — whether 
from Judea, Ephesus, or from Patmos. 

5. The first book is usually styled. The 
General Epistle of St. John, but it bears no 
marks of the epistolary form ; it is not inscribed 
to any individual, begins without salutation, and 
ends without benediction. " It would seem," 
says Bishop Horsley, "that this book hath, for 
no other reason, acquired the title of an epis- 
tle, but that, in the first formation of the canon 
of the New Testament, it was put into the same 
volume with the didactic writings of the apos- 
tles, which, with this single exception, are all 
in the epistolary form." 

6. It is indeed a didactic discourse upon the 
principles of Christianity, both in doctrine and 
practice ; and whether we consider the sublimity 
of its opening with the fundamental topics of 
God's perfections, man's depravity, and Christ's 
propitiation ; the perspicuity with which it pro- 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 257 

pounds the deepest mysteries of our holy faith, 
and the evidence of the proof which it brings 
to confirm them ; whether we consider the sanc- 
tity of its precepts, and the energy of argument 
with which they are persuaded and enforced, 
in the dignified simplicity of language in which 
both doctrine and precept are delivered ; whe- 
ther we regard the importance of the matter, the 
propriety of the style, or the general spirit of 
ardent piety and warm benevolence, united with 
a fervent zeal, which breathes throughout the 
whole composition, we shall find it in every 
respect worthy of the holy author to whom the 
constant tradition of the church ascribes it — 
"the disciple whom Jesus loved." 

7. The design of this treatise is, to refute and 
to guard those Christians to whom he wrote 
against erroneous and licentious tenets, princi- 
ples, and practices — such as the denial of the 
real deity and proper humanity of Christ, of the 
reality and efficacy of his sufferings and death, 
as an atoning sacrifice, and the assertion that 
believers, being saved by grace, were not re- 
quired to obey the commandments of God. 

8. These principles began to appear in the 
church of Christ even in the apostolic age, and 
were afterward maintained by the Cerinthians, 
and other heretics, who sprung up at the close 
of the first, and in the second century of the 
Christian era. 

9. The second epistle is directed to a matron, 
who is not named, but only spoken of, as " the 
elect lady." 

17 



258 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

10. The matter of the second epistle is a short 
summary of what is contained in the first. 
The elect lady is commended for her virtuous 
and religious education of her children ; and is 
exhorted to abide in the doctrine of Christ, to 
persevere in the truth, and carefully to avoid the 
delusions of false teachers. But chiefly the 
apostle beseeches this Christian matron to ob- 
serve the great and indispensable commandment 
of Christian love and charity. This epistle 
was probably written about the same time as 
the first. 

11. The Third Epistle of John is addressed 
to a converted Gentile, a respectable member 
of some Christian church, called Caius, or 
Gaius ; but who he was is extremely uncertain, 
as there are three persons of this name mention- 
ed in the New Testament. 

12. (1.) Gaius of Corinth, whom Paul calls 
his "host, and the host of the whole church." 
1 Cor. i, 14; Rom. xvi, 23. (2.) Gaius of 
Macedonia, who accompanied St. Paul, and spent 
some time with him at Ephesus. Acts xix, 29. 
(3.) Gaius of Derby, who also was a fellow- 
traveler of St. Paul, Acts xx, 4. 

13. Modern critics suppose the person to 
whom this epistle was addressed was Gaius of 
Corinth, as hospitality was a leading feature of 
his character ; and a hospitable temper, espe- 
cially toward the ministers of the gospel, is 
strongly marked in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and 
eighth verses of this epistle. 

14. The scope of this epistle is to commend 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 259 

his steadfastness in the faith, and his general 
hospitality, especially toward the ministers of 
the word ; to caution him against the ambitious 
and turbulent practices of Diotrephes, and to re- 
commend Demetrius to his friendship : defer- 
ring what further he had to say to a personal 
interview. 

15. The Revelation of St. John. In addition 
to his Gospel, and the three epistles, the apostle 
John was the author of the remarkable book 
bearing the above title, and closing the canon 
according to our version. 

16. There is some considerable difference of 
opinion as to the time when the book was 
written, but the most probable and received 
opinion is, that St. John was banished into the 
desolate Island of Patmos, toward the end of 
Domitian's reign, by virtue of his edicts for 
persecuting the Christians, and that he had the 
revelation contained in the Apocalypse during 
his exile : this view is supported by many of 
the fathers. The death of Domitian occurred 
A. D. 96 ; the Christian exiles were then 
liberated, and St. John was permitted to return 
to Ephesus. Soon after this, the book of Reve- 
lation was published by the liberated apostle. 

17. The occasion of writing the Apocalypse is 
sufficiently evident from the book itself. John, 
being in exile in Patmos, is favored with the 
appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to him, and 
is repeatedly commanded to commit to writing 
the visions which he beheld. 

18. The design of the book is twofold : 



260 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

First, generally to make known to the apostle 
" the things which are," that is, the then pre- 
sent state of the Christian churches in Asia; and, 
secondly, and principally, to reveal to him " the 
things which shall be hereafter," or the consti- 
tution and fates of the Christian church, through 
the several periods of propagation, corruption, 
and amendment, from its beginnings to its con- 
summation in glory. 

19. " The prophecy of the Revelation," says 
Daubez, "was designed as a standing monu- 
ment of the church, to know what destinies 
attend it ; and that when men should suffer for 
the name of Christ, they might here find some 
consolation both for themselves and for the 
church : — for themselves, by the prospect and 
certainty of a reward ; for the church, by the 
testimony that Christ never forsakes it, but will 
conquer at last." 

20. No book has been more commented upon, 
or has given rise to a greater variety of inter- 
pretations, than this, which has ever been ac- 
counted the most difficult portion of the New 
Testament. The figurative language in which 
the visions are delivered, the variety of symbols 
under which the events are presignified, the extent 
of the prophetical information, which appears 
to pervade all ages of the Christian church, 
afford little hope of its perfect understanding, till 
a further process of time shall have ripened more 
of the events foretold in it, and have afforded a 
broader scope for determining its whole signifi- 
cation. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 261 

21. The Epistle of Jude. Jude, or Judas, 
who was surnamed Thaddeus and Lebbeus, was 
the son of Alphaeus and Mary, and brother of 
James the Less, and one of the twelve apostles. 

22. We are not informed when or how he 
was called to the apostleship ; and there is 
scarcely any mention of him in the New Tes- 
tament, except in the different catalogues of the 
twelve apostles. The only particular incident 
related concerning St. Jude is to be found in 
John xiv, 21-23, where we read that he ad- 
dressed the following question to his divine 
Master : " Lord ! how is it that thou wilt 
manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the 
world ?" 

23. It is conjectured that after having re- 
ceived, in common with the other apostles, 
extraordinary gifts at the feast of Pentecost, he 
preached the gospel for some time in several 
parts of the land of Israel ; and, as his life 
seems to have been prolonged, it is probable 
that he afterward left Judea, and went about 
preaching the word to Jews and Gentiles in 
other countries. Some have asserted that he 
was finally martyred in Persia, but there is no 
account of his travels or his death that can be 
relied upon. 

24. The time when his epistle was written is 
uncertain : probably between A. D. 66 and 70. 
It seems to be the most probable opinion that 
this epistle was addressed to no one church 
in particular, but was a general letter to all 
believers. 



262 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

25. The design of this epistle is to guard 
believers against the false teachers who had 
begun to insinuate themselves into the Christian 
church ; and to contend with the utmost earnest- 
ness for the true faith, against the dangerous 
opinions they promulgated, making religion to 
consist in a bare speculative belief, and an 
outward profession of the gospel. Canceling 
the obligations of morality and personal holi- 
ness, they taught their disciples to live in all 
manner of licentiousness, and at the same 
time flattered them with the hope of divine 
favor, and of obtaining eternal life. The vile 
characters of these seducers are shown, and 
their sentence is denounced. The true be- 
liever is exhorted to holiness of heart and life, 
and to diligent perseverance. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 263 

APPENDIX 

TO 

BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



MONEYS, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES, OF THE SCRIP- 
TURES. 

The several moneys, weights, and measures, mentioned by the 
sacred writers, were not all of Hebrew origin. Some of them 
were Greek, and others Roman, as these people in succession 
conquered the East ; for with their government they introduced 
their coins and methods of policy. There is considerable diffi- 
culty in making accurate calculations respecting both coins and 
measures ; and learned men differ in several particulars relating 
to them. The following tables have been prepared from the 
most judicious writers on the subject. 

I. MONEY. 

Copper Coin. £ s. d. qr. 

1. Mite, Mark xii, 42, it weighed half a barley- 
corn, and was in value about three-eighths 

of a farthing English Of 

2. Farthing, or quadrans, two mites, or about 

three quarters of our farthing 0| 

3. Assyrium, or ass, Matt, x, 29, the tenth part 
of a Roman penny, or about three farthings 

English 3 

Silver Money. 

1. Gerah, Exod. xxx, 13, about 12 

2. Penny, denarius, or drachma, Matt, xx, 2, 

the fourth of a shekel 7 2 

3. Bekah, Exod. xxxviii, 26, half a shekel 13 

4. Shekel, Exod. xxx, 13, or silverling, Isa. vii, 
23, or stater, Matt, xvii, 27, was stamped on 
one side with Aaron's rod, and on the other 

with the pot of manna 2 6 

5- Maneh, mina, or pound, Luke xix, 13, fifty 

shekels 6 5 

6. Talent, sixty manehs or pounds 375 



264 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Gold Money. £ s. d. qr. 

1. Shekel of gold, about fourteen times the 

value of silver 1 16 6 

2. Talent of gold, 3000 shekels 5475 

II. WEIGHTS. 

lbs. oz. dwts. grs. 

1. Gerah, about 12 

2. Bekah, ten gerahs 5 

3. Shekel, two bekahs 10 

4 Mina, sixty shekels 2 6 

5. Talent, fifty minas 125 

III. MEASURES. 

Measures of Length. 

yds. ft. in. 

1. Finger, Jer. lii, 21, the breadth of a man's 

thumb, about Of 

2. Handbreadth, Exod. xxv, 25, four fingers. 3i 

3. Span, Exod. xxviii, 16, three handbreadths 10£ 

4. Cubit, Gen. vi, 15, two spans 19 

5. Fathom, Acts xxvii, 28, four cubits 2 10 

6. Reed, Ezek.xl, 3-5, nearly eleven feet, or. 3 2 

7. Line, Ezek. xl, 3, eighty cubits, or 46 2 

8. Furlong, or stadium, Luke xxiv, 13, a Greek 

measure 233 

9. Mile, Matt, v, 41, eight furlongs 1866 

10. Sabbath day's journey, Acts i, 12, a mile : 

some say two miles. 

Liquid Measures. 

gals. qts. pts. 

1. Log, Lev. xiv, 10, equal to six egg-shells 

full 0| 

2. Hin, Exod. xxix, 40 110 

3. Bath, 1 Kings vii, 26, or firkin, John ii, 6, 

six hins 7 2 

4. Cor, or homer, Ezek. xlv, 14, Isa. v, 10, 

the largest measure 75 

Dry Measures. 

gals. qts. pts. 

1. Pot, or sextarius, Markvii, 4 1| 

2. Cab, 2 Kings vi, 25, or chenix, Rev. vi, 6, 
the measure of corn allowed to a slave 

for the food of a day 10 

3. Omer, Exod. xvi, 36, or tenth-deal, ch. 

xxix, 40, about 11 

4. Seah, Matt, xiii, 33, about 2 

5. Ephah, or bath, Ezek. xlv, 11, about 6 

6. Homer, Num. xi, 32 ; Hosea hi, 2 16 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



265 



CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE BOOKS OF THE 
OLD TESTAMENT. 



Names. 


Authors 


Dates in years before Christ. 


Genesis 

Job 

Exodus 

Leviticus 

Numbers ... 

Deuteronomy... 
Joshua . . 


Moses............ 


From 4004 to 1635. 

2180 or 2130. 

From 1635 to 1490. 

1490. 

From 1490 to 1451. 

1451. 

From 1451 to 1425. 

From 1425 to 1120. 

From 1241 to 1231. 

From 1171 to 1055. 

From 1055 to 1015. 

i At various times. Those 
\ by David fr.1060 to 1015 
About 1010. 

About 1000. 

About 977. 

From 1015 to 896. 
From 896 to 562. 

From 4004 to 536. 

From 536 to 456. 
From 455 to 420. 
From 521 to 495. 


Do 


Do 


Do 


Do 


Do 


Joshua........ 


Judges......... 


Samuel........... 


Ruth 


Do 


1 Samuel 

2 Samuel 

Psalms...... 


l Compiled by \ 
1 Samuel, Nathan, > 
( Gad, and others. ; 

David and others. . 
Solomon 


Solomon's Song 

Proverbs 

Ecclesiastes 

1 Kings .. 

2 Kings 


Do 


Do 


1 Nathan, Gad, ) 
< Ahijah, Iddo, > 
( Isaiah, & others. ; 

Ezra and others... 
Ezra 


1 Chronicles _. \ 

2 Chronicles .. ) 
Ezra ........ 


Nehemiah 

Esther 


Nehemiah 

Ezra 







266 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



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BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



267 






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268 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS. 



Name. 


Before Christ. 


Kings of Judah. 


Kings of Israel. 


Jonah, 


Between 856 
and 784. 


Joah, Amaziah, or 
Azariah. 


Jehu and Jeho- 
ahaz, or Joash 
& Jeroboam II. 


Amos, 


Between 810 
and 725. 


Uzziah, ch. i, 1. 


Jeroboam II., ch. 
i, 1. 


Hosea, 


Between 810 
and 725. 


Uzziah, Jotham, 
Ahaz, Hezekiah. 


Jeroboam II., ch. 
i,l. 


Isaiah, 


Between 810 
and 698. 


Uzziah, Jotham, 
Ahaz, Hezekiah, 
and Manasseh. 


Zechariah, Shal- 
lum, Menahem, 
Pekaiah, Pekah, 
and Hosea. 


Joel, 


Between 810 
& 660, or later. 


Uzziah or Manas- 
seh. 


Ditto. 


Micah, 


Between 758 
and 699. 


Jotham, Ahaz,and 
Hezekiah, ch. i, 1. 


Pekah and Ho- 
sea. 


Nahum, 


Between 720 
and 698. 


About the close of 
Hezekiah's reign. 




Zepha- 
niah, 


Between 640 
and 609. 


Josiah, ch. i, 1. 




Jere- 
miah, 


Between 628 
and 586. 


Josiah. 




Habak- 
kuk, 


Between 612 
and 598. 


Jehoiakim. 




Daniel, 


Between 606 
and 534. 


During all the 
captivity. 




Oba- 
diah, 


Between 588 
and 583. 


Soon after the 
siege of Jerusa- 
lem by Nebu- 
chadnezzar. 




Eze- 

kiel, 


Between 595 
and 536. 


Captivity. 




Haggai, 


About 520 or 
518. 


After the return 
from Babylon. 




Zecha- 
riah, 


Between 520 
and 510. 






Mala- 
chi, 


Between 436 
and 397. 







BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



269 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 
SCRIPTURES. 

The New Testament was originally written in the Greek lan- 
guage : but concerning the exact time when each of the several 
books was written, it is now difficult to determine ; consequently 
there is some little difference of opinion among learned com- 
mentators, in reference to some of them. The following table 
has been compiled from 'the most celebrated writers on the 
subject. 



BOOK. 



AUTHOR. 



WHERE 
WRITTEN. 



FOR 
WHOSE USE. 



DATE. 
A. D. 



Matthew,Gospelof, ( Matthew 
in Hebrew Mattnew 



Judea , 



.38 



in Greek Ditto Ditto 



1 Thessalonians Paul .. 

2 Thessalonians Ditto . . 

Galatians Ditto . . 

1 Corinthians Ditto . . 

Romans Ditto . 

2 Corinthians Ditto _, 

James James. 

Mark, Gospel of Mark-, 

Ephesians Paul 

Philippians Ditto 

Colossians Ditto 

Philemon Ditto 

Hebrews Ditto 

Luke, Gospel of Luke 

Acts Ditto 

1 Timothy Paul .... 

Titus Ditto 

1 Peter Peter 

Jude Jude 

2 Peter Peter 

2 Timothy Paul 

1 John, Epistle of John 

2 John, do Ditto 

3 John, do Ditto 

Revelation Ditto 

John, Gospel of Ditto.... 



Corinth 
Ditto... 

Ditto... 



Rome 



.61 



63 



Hebrew 

Christians 

Gentile 

Christians 

Ditto 52 

Ditto 52 

Ditto 53 

Ephesus Ditto 57 

Corinth Ditto 58 

Macedonia.. Ditto 58 

Judea Jewish nation 61 

Gentile 

Christians 

Ditto Ditto 61 

Ditto Ditto 62 

Ditto Ditto 62 

Ditto Philemon 63 

Tf i«- Hebrew 

ltaiy Christians 

Theophilus 

Greece and Gentile > ...63 

Christians 

Ditto Ditto.... 64 

Macedonia.. Timothy 64 

Ditto Titus.. 64 

( Babylon ) 

1 or >General ....64 

( Rome ) 

Unknown ..Ditto 65 

S Babylon ) 
or /Ditto 65 
Rome ) 

Rome Timothy 65 

Ephesus General 68 

Ditto The Elect Lady... 69 

Ditto Gaius 69 

Patmos General 97 

Ephesus.... Ditto,.. ...98 



I- 



270 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



BIBLE CHRONOLOGY, 

FROM THE CREATION TO THE REVELATION OF ST. 
JOHN. 



OLD TESTAMENT. 

Commencing 4004 years before Christ. 

PERIOD I. 

FROM THE CREATION TO THE DELUGE. 



Year of 


Year 


Year of 


Year 


world. 


B. C. 


world. 


B. C. 


The Creation 


.4004 


55 years elapse. 




The Fall of Man 


..4003 


1042 Death of Seth 


.2962 


1 The Birth of Cain... 


14 years elapse. 




2 The Birth of Abel... 


..4002 


1056 The Birth of Noah.. 


.2948 


127 years elapse. 




480 years elapse. 




129 Murder of Abel 


.3875 


Wickedness of men in- 




130 The Birth of Seth... 


..3874 


creases 




Mankind increase 




1536 Flood threatened ... 


.2468 


800 years elapse. 




Noah preaches and 




930 Death of Adam 


.3074 


warns men 




57 years elapse. 




120 years elapse. 




987 Translation of Enoch. 


.3017 


1656 The Flood 


.2348 



PERIOD II. 

FROM THE DELUGE TO THE DEATH OF 

JOSEPH. 



Year of 


Year 


Year of 


Year 


world. 


B. C. 


world. 


B. C. 


1657 The Ark rests on 




9 years after 




Mount Ararat 


.2347 


2092 Lot is taken captive. 


.1912 


1659 The race of Ham is 




2094 Ishmael is born 


.1910 


cursed 


.2345 


12 years after 




Ill years elapse. 




2106 Abram's name is 




1770 Babel is commenced. 


.2234 


changed 


.1898 


Mankind are scattered 




Destruction of Sodom 


*c. 


108 years after 




2108 Birth of Isaac 


.1896 


1878 Terah is born in Chal 




4 years after 




dea 


.2126 


2112 Hagar and Ishmael 




128 years later 




cast out 


.1892 


2006 Noah dies 


.1998 


21 years elapse. 




2008 Abramisborn 


.1996 


2133 Abraham offers Isaac 


.1871 


75 years elapse. 




12 years after 




2083 The Call of Abram.. 


.1921 


2145 Death of Sarah 


.1859 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



271 



Year of Tear 

world. B. C. 

3 years after 
2148 Isaac is married to 

Rebekah 1856 

10 years elapse. 
2158 Death of Shem 1846 

10 years later 
2168 Esau and Jacob born .1836 

15 years elapse. 
2183 Death of Abraham 1821 

15 years after 
2198 Esau sells his birth- 
right .... 1806 

33 years after 
2231 Tshmael dies 1773 

13 years elapse. 

2244 Deceit of Jacob and 

Rebekah 1760 

2245 Jacob flees to Laban.,1759 
He marries Leah 

7 years after 
2252 He marries Rachel. ..1752 

7 years later 
2259 Joseph is born 1745 

6 years after 
2265 Jacob quits Laban 1739 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

He returns to Canaan 
His name is changed 

to Israel 
10 years after 

2275 Benjamin is born 1729 

2276 Joseph is sold into 

Egypt 1728 

10 years after 
2286 Joseph is imprisoned.. 1718 

2288 Isaac dies 1716 

2289 Joseph is exalted 1715 

He stores up corn 

8 years elapse. 

A famine in Canaan 

2297 Jacob's sons go to 

Egypt 1707 

2298 Joseph makes him- 

self known 1706 

The sons of Jacob set- 
tle in Egypt 
17 years after 
2315 Jacob dies in Goshen. 1689 

54 years after 
2369 Joseph dies in Egypt. .1635 
61 years after 



PERIOD III. 



FROM JOSEPH'S 



Year of 
world. 



DEATH TO 
MOSES. 



Year 
B. C. 



Israel is oppressed in 
Egypt. 

2430 Aaron is born 1574 

3 years after 

2433 Moses is born 1571 

40 years after 
2473 Moses flees into Mi- 

dian 1531 

40 years later 

2513 The plagues sent on 

Egypt 1491 

The Exodus of Israel 
Destruction of Pha- 
raoh's host 
The Law delivered 

2514 The Tabernacle 

made 1490 



Year of 
world. 



THE DEATH OP 



Year 
B. C. 



Aaron and his sons 

anointed 
2515 Nadab and Abihu 

slain 1489 

The spies sent forth 
Wanderings in the 

wilderness 

18 years after 

2533 Korah, Dathan, and 

Abiram rebel 1471 

18 years elapse. 

2551 Moses strikes the 

rock 1453 

2552 Aaron dies on Mount 

Hor 1452 

2553 Moses dies on Mount 

Nebo 1451 



272 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



PERIOD IV. 

FROM THE ENTRANCE INTO CANAAN TO THE 
ANOINTING OF SAUL. 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

2553 Joshua succeeds Mo- 
ses 1451 

Canaan is entered 

7 years after 

2560 Canaan conquered 

and divided 1444 

The Tabernacle is set 
up 

17 years elapse. 

2577 Death of Joshua 1427 

14 years elapse. 
2591 Israel's First Servi- 
tude 1413 

8 years after 

2599 Othniel delivers Is- 
rael 1405 

62 years elapse. 

2661 Israel's Second Ser- 
vitude 1343 

18 years after 

2679 Ehud delivers Israel _. 1325 

20 years elapse. 
2699 Third and Fourth 

Servitudes 1305 

20 years after 
2719 Barak delivers Israel.. 1285 

33 years elapse. 
2752 Fifth Servitude 1252 

7 years after 
2759 Gideon delivers Israel. 1245 

Ruth's History. 

10 years elapse. 
2769 Abimelech's usur- 
pation 1235 

3 years elapse. 
2772 Tola judges Israel.. 1232. 

22 years elapse. 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

2794 Jair judges Israel 1210 

4 years elapse. 

2798 Sixth Servitude. 1206 

19 years after 
2817 Jephthah delivers 

Israel 1187 

5 years after 

2822 Ibzan succeeds Jeph- 
thah 1182 

7 years after 
2829 Elon succeeds Ibzan. .1175 

10 years after 
2839 Abdon succeeds Elon.1165 

Seventh Servitude 

9 years after 

2848 Samson's birth 1156 

Eli is priest and 

judge 

2849 Samuel is born 1155 

12 years after 
2861 Samuel ministers to 

Eli 1143 

13 years later 

2874 Samson marries . 1130 

He slays many Philis- 
tines 
13 years after 

2887 He destroys himself 

and Philistines 1117 

Eli is reproved 

2888 The Ark of God 

taken 1116 

Eli dies. Samuel is 
judge 

20 years after 
2908 The Israelites re- 
pent 1096 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



273 



PERIOD V. 
THE REIGNS OF SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMON, 



Year of 


Year 


Year of 


Year 


world. 


B. C. 


world. 


B. C. 


2909 Saul anointed king.. 


.1095 


3 years after 




2911 Saul reproved for 




2982 Sheba rebels against 




disobedience 


.1093 


David ^ 


J022 


30 years after 




5 years elapse. 




2941 David secretly anoint 




2987 David's last battles.. 


.1017 


ed 


.1063 


He numbers the peoplt 




2942 Goliath is slain 


.1062 


2989 Solomon charged to 




Friendship of David 




build the Temple.. 


.1015 


and Jonathan 




2990 Death of David 


.1014 


2944 David flees to Nob.. 


.1060 


Solomon reigns 




5 years after 




2991 Solomon marries 


.1013 


2949 Death of Saul on 




2992 The Temple commen 




Gilboa 


.1055 


ced 


.1012 


David anointed the 




7 years after 




second time 




2999 The Temple is fin- 




7 years after 




ished 


.1005 


2956 David takes Jeru- 




3000 The Temple dedi- 




salem... 


.1048 


cated .. 


.1004 


3 years after 




3001 Tadmor and other 




2959 The Ark removed... 


.1045 


cities built 


.1003 


JJzzah slain for touch- 




11 years after 




ing it 




3012 Solomon trades from 




2961 David's conquests .. 


.1043 


Ezion-geber 


..992 


9 years later 




8 years later 




2970 David marries Bath- 




3020 He writes Proverbs 




sheba 


.1034 


and Songs 


..984 


Nathan reproves Davia 




4 years elapse. 




2971 Solomon is born... 


.1033 


3024 Solomon's fall, and 




8 years elapse. 




idolatry 


..980 


2979 Absalom's conspi- 




5 years after 




racy 


.1025 


3029 He repents — dies ... 


-975 



PERIOD VI. 



THE KINGS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL, 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

3029 Rehoboam begins to 

reign 975 

Ten of the Tribes re- 
volt 
Jeroboam chosen — 
his idolatry 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

3030 Josiah's birth foretold.. 974 

3032 Rehoboam forsakes 

God 972 

3033 Shishak's invasion 971 

13 years elapse. 

3046 Death of Rehoboam.. -958 



18 



274 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



Year of Tear 

world. B. C. 

3047 Abijah reigns 957 

3049 Asa succeeds him, 

and destroys ido- 
latry 955 

3050 Jeroboam dies. Na- 

dab reigns 954 

3051 Baasha slays Nadab._.953 
9 years elapse. 

3060 Asa fears God, and 

prospers 944 

3 years elapse. 

3063 Asa wars with Baasha.941 
11 years after 

3074 Baasha dies. Elah 

reigns 930 

3075 Zimri's conspiracy 929 

Omri chosen king 

Zimri destroys him- 
self 

5 years after 

3080 Omri builds Samaria. .924 

6 years after 

3086 Ahab succeeds Omri ..918 

4 years after 

3090 Asa dies. Jehosha- 

phat reigns 914 

3092 He destroys idolatry ..912 
3094 Elijah's mission to 

Ahab 910 

5 years after 

3099 Assembly on Carmel_.905 

3 years after 

3102 Elijah anoints Hazael .902 
Elisha is called 

3103 Siege of Samaria 901 

3105 Ahab's covetousness__899 

3106 Ahaziah reigns with 

Ahab 898 

3108 Ahaziah dies. Joram 

becomes king 896 

Elijah is translated 
Elisha succeeds Elijah 

4 years after 
3112 Jehoram reigns in 

Judah 892 

3 years after 

3115 Death of Jehoshaphat.889 

4 years elapse. 
3119 Ahaziah reigns one 

year 885 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

3120 Joram dies. Jehu be- 
comes king 884 

Athaliah's usurpation 

6 years after 

3126 Joash is proclaimed 

king 878 

Jehoiada governs 
22 years later 
3148 The Temple repaired.. 856 
Jehoahaz succeeds 
Jehu 
15 years after 

3163 Jehoash succeeds Je- 

hoahaz 841 

3164 Hazael invades Judah-840 

3165 Joash is slain. Am- 

aziah reigns 839 

Elisha dies. Miracle 

of his bones. 
13 years after 

3178 Amaziah taken pri- 

soner by Jehoash. . . .826 

3179 Jeroboam II. reigns 825 

15 years elapse. 

3194 TJzziah succeeds Am- 
aziah 810 

TJzziah fears God and 

prospers 
Joel, Hosea, and Amos 

prophesy 
26 years later 

3220 Jeroboam II. dies 784 

Interregnum 1 1 years 
in Israel 
3231 Zachariah reigns six 

months 773 

3231 Shallum succeeds 

Zachariah 773 

3232 Menahem slays Shal- 

lum 772 

7 years after 

3239 TJzziah becomes le- 
prous 765 

4 years elapse. 
3243 Pekahiah succeeds 

Menahem 761 

3245 Pekah reigns after 

Pekahiah 759 

3246 Jotham succeeds TJz- 

ziah 758 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



275 



Year of Year 

world. B. C 

Isaiah and Micah pro- 
phesy 

16 years after 

3262 Ahaz succeeds Jo- 

tham 742 

3263 Pekah spoils the Tem- 

ple 741 

Takes Judah captive 
to Samaria 

3264 First Captivity of Is- 

rael 740 

3265 Hoshea slays Pekah.., 739 
Anarchy nine years in 

Israel 

Ahaz closes the Tem- 
ple 
3274 Hoshea begins to reign. 730 

4 years after 

3278 Hezekiah succeeds 

Ahaz 726 

3279 Hoshea is allied with 

So 725 

4 years after 
3283 Samaria taken by 

Shalmaneser 721 

Second Captivity of 

Israel 
Nahum prophesies 
8 years elapse. 
3291 Sennacherib's inva- 
sion 713 

Hezekiah' 's illness 
(Fifteen years added 
to his life) 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

3293 Hezekiah is reproved.. 711 

3294 Second invasion of 

Sennacherib 710 

His army smitten 
4 years elapse. 
3298 Death of Sennache- 
rib 706 

8 years after 

3306 Death of Hezekiah 698 

21 years after 

3327 Manasseh is taken 

captive 677 

3328 He repents — is re- 

stored 676 

27 years after 

3355 Josiahisborn 649 

6 years later 
3361 Amon succeeds Ma- 
nasseh 643 

3363 Josiah succeeds 

Amon. 641 

17 years after 
3380 The Temple repair- 
ed 624 

The Book of the Law 

found 
13 years after 

3393 Josiah is slain by 

Pharaoh-necho 611 

3394 Jehoahaz is dethroned.610 

3395 Jehoiakim made king.. 609 

3396 Jeremiah is perse- 

cuted 608 

3398 Captivity of Judah 606 



PERIOD VII. 
THE CAPTIVITY AND RETURN OF THE JEWS. 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

3398 Daniel is blessed in 

his captivity 606 

Jehoiakim is liberated 
6 years after 

3404 Jehoiachin made king 

and dethroned 600 

3405 Zedekiah made king ..599 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

9 years after 
3414 Nebuchadnezzar burns 

the Temple 590 

3416 Zedekiah's Captivity.. 588 
Gedaliah made governor. 
He is murdered by Ish- 
mael 



276 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

18 years after 

3434 Nebuchadnezzar sets 

up an idol 570 

3435 He is punished for 

his pride 569 

6 years after 
3441 He repents — is re- 
stored 563 

3443 Evil-merodach, his 

son, reigns 561 

6 years after 
3449 Belshazzar reigns in 

Babylon 555 

17 years elapse. 

3466 Belshazzar's impious 

feast 538 

Babylon is taken 

3467 Darius exalts Daniel- .537 

3468 Cyrus reigns 536 

The return of Judah 

3470 Rebuilding of the 

Temple 534 



Year of Year 

world. B. C. 

14 years after 
3484 The Temple com- 
pleted 520 

56 years after 
3540 The walls of Jeru- 
salem rebuilt 464 

The Samaritans' en- 
mity 
3542 Ahasuerus marries 

Esther 462 

10 years after 
3552 Mordecai's promo- 
tion 452 

Haman J s downfall 
8 years elapse. 
3560 Nehemiah's reforms... 444 
16 years after 

3576 Further reforms 428 

The solemn Covenant 
28 years after 

3604 Malachi prophesies 400 

400 years after 



NEW TESTAMENT. 
PERIOD VIII. 



Year of Year 

world. A. C. 

John the Baptist born 
Birth of Jesus an- 
nounced 

4004 Jesus born — wor- 

shiped 
Is taken into Egypt 

4005 Herod dies ; his son 

reigns 1 

Holy Family return to 

Nazareth 

11 years after 

4016 Jesus goes to the 

Temple 12 

Converses with the 

Doctors 
17 years after 

4033 John baptizes 29 

4034 Jesusjs baptized 30 

Jesus is tempted thrice 



Year of Year 

world. A. C. 

4035 First year of Christ's 

ministry 31 

Disciples are called 
Sermon on the mount 

4036 Second year of Christ's 

ministry 32 

Twelve apostles or- 
dained 
John beheaded 

4037 Third year of Christ's 

ministry „33 

Seventy disciples sent 
forth 

Jesus condemned, 
and crucified 

His Burial, Resur- 
rection, and As- 
cension 

Descent of Holy Ghost 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



277 



Year of Year 

world. A. C. 

4038 Seven deacons cho- 

sen 34 

4039 Stephen is stoned 35 

4040 Saul is converted 36 

3 years after 

4043 He preaches at Da- 
mascus 39 

4045 Peter baptizes Cor- 
nelius 41 

3 years elapse. 

4048 St. James's martyr- 

dom ..44 

Herod Agrippa's death 

4049 St. Paul's mission to 

the Gentiles 45 

Elymas struck blind 

4050 Paul visits Asia Mi- 

nor 46 

6 years after 

4056 He returns to Antioch..52 
Apollos preaches at 

Ephesus 
Council at Jerusalem 

4057 Paul revisits Asia 53 

4059 Goes into Greece 55 

4060 Returns to Jerusalem. -56 



Year of Year 

world. A. C. 

Is accused of sedi- 
tion 
4062 Sent prisoner to Rome.. 58 
Shipwrecked at 
Malta 

3 years after 

4065 Set at liberty at Rome.. 61 
Probably visits 
Spain, &c. 

4 years elapse. 

4069 Martyrdom of St. Pe- 

ter ...65 

4070 Paul brought before 

Nero 66 

Martyrdom of St. 

Paul 
The war against the 

Jews begins 
4 years after 
4074 Titus besieges Jeru- 
salem 70 

26 years after 

4100 St. John is banished 

to Patmos.. ...96 

4101 Writes his Revela- 

tion -.—-.97 



278 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



MIRACLES 

RECORDED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. 



Miracle. 



Aaron's rod changed 

Waters made blood 

Frogs produced 

Lice 

Flies 

Murrain 

Boils 

Thunder, etc 

Locusts 

Darkness 

Death of the first-born 

Red Sea 

Marah's waters sweetened 

Manna sent 

Water from the rock Rephidira. 

Aaron's rod budded 

Nadab and Abihu consumed... 

The burning of Taberah 

Earthquake and fire 

Water flowing from the rock.. 
Serpent, healing the Israelites. 

Balaam's ass speaking 

The river Jordan divided 

Walls of Jericho fall down 

Sun and moon stand still 

Water flowing from the rock__. 
Philistines slain before the ark 
Men of Bethshemesh smitten.. 
Thunder destroys Philistines.. 
Thunder and rain in harvest... 
Sound in the mulberry-trees... 

Uzzah struck dead 

Jeroboam's hand withered 

Widow of Zarephath' s meal... 

Widow's son raised 

Sacrifice consumed 

Rain obtained 



Where wrought. 


Recorded in. 


Egypt 


Exod. vii, 10-12 


Egypt 


20-25 


Egypt 


viii, 5-14 


Egypt 


16-18 


Egypt 


20-24 


Egypt 


ix, 3-6 


Egypt 


8-11 


Egypt 


22-26 


Egypt 


x, 12-19 


Egypt 


21-23 


Egypt 


xii, 29,30 


Egypt 


xiv. 21-31 


Marah 


xv, 23-25 


In wilderness 


xvi, 14-35 


Rephidim 


xvii, 5-7 


Kadesh 


Num. xvii, l,etc. 


Sinai 


Lev. x, 1, 2 


Taberah 


Num. xi, 1-3 




xvi, 31-35 


Desert of Zin 


xx, 7-11 


Desert of Zin 


xxi, 8, 9 


Pethor 


xxii, 21-35 


River Jordan _ 


Josh, iii, 14-17 


Jericho 


vi, 6-20 


Gibeon 


x, 12-14 


En-hakkore .. 


Judg. xv, i9 


Ashdod 


1 Sam. v, 1-12 


Bethshemesh 


vi, 19 


Ebenezer 


vii, 10-12 


Gilgal 


xii, 18 


Rephaim 


2 Sam. v, 23-25 


Perez-uzzah _ 


vi, 7 


Beth-el 


1 Kings xiii, 4, 6 


Zarephath 


xvii, 14-16 


Zarephath 


17-24 


Mount Carmel 


xviii, 30-38 


Land of Israel 


41-45 


Near Samaria 


2 Kings i, 10-12 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



279 



Miracle. 


Where wrought. 


Recorded in. 


River Jordan di vided 

Waters of Jericho healed 

Water for Jehoshaphat's army. 

The widow's oil multiplied 

Shunamite's son raised 

The deadly pottage cured 

Hundred men fed with 20 loaves 
Namaan cured of his leprosy.. 

Leprosy inflicted on Gehazi 

Iron swims 


River Jordan _ 

Jericho 

Land of Moab 

Shunem 

Gilgal 

Gilgal 

Samaria 

Samaria 

River Jordan . 
Dotham _ 

Jerusalem 

Jerusalem 

Jerusalem 

Babylon 

Babylon 


2 Kings ii, 7, 8, 14 
21,22 

iii, 16-20 

iv, 2-7 
32-37 
38-41 
42-44 

v, 10-14 
20-27 

vi, 5-7 


King of Syria's army smitten.. 
Elisha's bones revive the dead. 
Sennacherib's army destroyed. 
Sun goeth back 


18-20 
xiii,21 
xix, 35 
xx, 9-11 


Uzziah struck with leprosy 

Shadrach, Meshach, etc., deli v. _ 

Daniel in the den of lions 

Jonah in the whale's belly 


2Ch.xxvi,16-21 
Dan. iii, 19-27 
vi, 16-23 
Jonah ii, 1-10 



280 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



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286 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



PRAYERS RECORDED IN THE OLD AND NEW 
TESTAMENTS. 



Abraham's servant .... 

Agur 

Apostles 

Asa 

Daniel 

David 

Early Christians pr. 

Elijah 

Ezra 

Habakkuk ._ 

Hannah 

Hezekiah 

Jabez 

Jacob 

Jehoshaphat 

Jeremiah 

Jesus to his Father 

Jesus under suffering ., 

Jesus for his people 

Jesus on the cross 

Jonah 

Levites 

Moses, for Israel 

— for tabernacle . . 

— — — for Miriam .. 

to spare Israel _ 

— — to enter Canaan 

Nehemiah 

Our Lord's prayer 

Publican 

Samson 

Solomon 

Thief on the cross 



Gen. xxiv, 12. 

Prov. xxx, 7-9. 

Acts i, 24, 25. 

2 Chron. xiv, 11. 

Dan. ix, 3. 

2 Sam, vii, 18-29. 

Acts iv, 24-30. 

1 Kings xviii, 36, 37. 

Ezra ix, 6. 

Hab. iii, 1-19. 

1 Sam. i, 11. 

2 Kings xix, 15-19 ; xx, 3. 

1 Chron. iv, 10. 
Gen. xxxii, 9-12. 

2 Chron. xx, 6-12. 
Jer. xiv, 7-9. 

John xii, 27, 28 ; xvii, 1-5. 
Matt, xxvi, 39 ; Luke xxii, 42 , 

John xii, 37. 
John xvii, 6-26. 

Matt, xxvii, 46 ; Luke xxiii, 34. 
Jonah ii, 2-9. 
Neh. ix, 6-38. 
Exod. xxxii, 11-13, 31, 32. 
Exod. xxxiii, 12, 13. 
Num. xii, 13. 
Num. xiv, 17-19. 
Deut. iii, 24, 25. 
Neh. i, 5-11; iv, 4-6. 
Matt, vi, 9-13 ; Luke xi. 
Luke xviii, 13. 
Judg. xvi, 28. 

1 Kings viii, 23 ; 2 Chron. vi, 14. 
Luke xxiii, 42. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 287 



SCRIPTURE NAMES. 

The Scripture names of both persons and things are generally 
remarkable for their signification. A knowledge of these cannot 
fail materially to assist the reader in understanding many pas- 
sages in the Bible. In several instances names were given im- 
mediately by God ; in others they were imposed by a spirit of 
prophecy ; and many, both persons and things, received their 
denomination from some particular circumstance in their history. 

Thus God called our first parent Adam, which signifies earth, 
or red earth, because from the earth man was created. Gen. ii, 7 ; 
v, 2. He changed the name of Abram, which signifies high fa- 
ther, to Abraham, the father of a great multitude, or of nations, 
(Gen. xvii, 5,) and that of his wife, Sarai, my lady, to Sarah, lady 
or princess of a multitude, (ver. 15, 16,) and Jacob, a supplanter, 
to Israel, a prince with God, xxxii, 28. 

By a prophetic spirit some names were imposed ; as Noah, sig- 
nifying comfort, and Jesus, a saviour. Many names were given 
on account of some peculiar circumstances in their history ; as 
Isaac, laughter or gladness. Gen. xvii, 17 ; xviii, 12 ; xxi, 3-6. 
Bethel, the house of God. Gen. xxxviii, 17-19. Moses, taken 
from the water. Exod. ii, 10. 

It should be observed that those names which begin or termi- 
nate with el, or begin with je, or end with iah, were generally 
designed to express some relation to God : — as Bethel, the house 
of God; Israel, a prince with God ; Jeremiah, the exaltation of 
the Lord. 

Some persons and things had two or more names, and they are 
sometimes called by one and sometimes by the other. For ex- 
ample, Jacob was called Israel ; Jethro, the father-in-law of 
Moses, was called Reuel, Exod. ii, 18 ; iii, 1 ; Uzziah was called 
Azariah, 2 Kings xv, 1 ; 2 Chron. xxvi, 1 ; Isa. i, 1. Paul was 
the Roman name of the apostle, while his Jewish name was 
Saul. 

Many names also of persons are spelt differently in the New 
Testament, as they were taken from the Greek translation of the 
Old Testament : as Noe for Noah, Elias for Elijah, Osee for 
Hosea, and Jeremy for Jeremiah. In some of the names also in 
the New Testament, it will be observed that their Latin form has 
been retained in several places, by an oversight in the transla- 
tors, as Timotheus for Timothy, Silvanus for Silas, and Marcus 
for Mark. 



Aaron, signifies a mountain of Abiathar, excellent father. 

strength, or a teacher. Abib, green fruits. 

Abaddon, the destroyer. Abiel, God my Father. 

Abednego, servant of light. Abigail, father of joy. 

Abel, Adam's son, vanity, a city, Abijah, the Lord is my Father. 

mourning. Abimelech, father of the king. 

Abel-Mizraim, the mourning of Abner, father of light. 

the Egyptians. Abram, a high father. 



288 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL, 



Abraham, father of a great mul- 
titude. 

Absalom, father of peace. 

Achan, he that troubles. 

Adam, earthy, or red earth. 

Adonibezek, lord of lightning. 

Adonijah, the Lord is my mas- 
ter. 

Adonizedek, lord of justice. 

Ahab, brother of the father. 

Ahimelech, brother of the king. 

Ahithophel, brother of ruin. 

Ahitub, brother of goodness. 

Alleluia, praise the Lord. 

Amalek, a people licking or ill- 
using. 

Amaziah, strength of the Lord. 

Amnon, faithful, or foster fa- 
ther. 

Ananias, the cloud of the Lord. 

Anna, or Hannah, gracious. 

Arabia, a desert. 

Areopagus, the hill of Mars. 

Asa, physician. 

Asher, blessedness or happi- 
ness. 

Azotus, or Ashdod, pillage. 

Baal, master, or lord, an idol. 

Baal-berith, lord of the cove- 
nant. 

Baalim, idols, masters, false 
gods. 

Baalzebub, or Beelzebub, lord 
of flies. 

Babel, or Babylon, confusion. 

Baca, mulberry-tree. 

Balaam, destruction of the 
people. 

Balak, a waster. 

Barnabas, son of consolation. 

Beer, a well. 

Beersheba, the well of the oath. 

Bel, ancient, nothing. 

Belial, wicked, devil. 

Belshazzar, master of the trea- 
sure. 

Bethany, the house of humility, 

or of song. 
Bethel, the house of God. 
Bethesda, the house of afflic- 
tion. 
Bethlehem, the house of bread. 



Bethshemesh, the house of the 
sun. 

Beulah, married. 

Boanerges, sons of thunder. 

Bochim, weepers. 

Cain, possession. 

Caleb, dog, basket, hearty. 

Calvary, the place of skulls 

Capernaum, the field of repent- 
ance or pleasure. 

Carmel, vineyard of God. 

Cush, black. 

Cushan, Ethiopia. 

Dagon, corn, fish. 

Dan, judgment. 

Daniel, judgment of God. 

David, beloved, dear. 

Deborah, oracle, or bee. 

Diotrephes, nourished by Ju- 
piter. 

Easter, the name of a Saxon 
goddess— the word in Acts 
xii, 4, is, properly, passover. 

Ebenezer, the stone of help. 

Eden, pleasure, delight. 

Edom, red. 

Egypt, in Hebrew, Mizraim, tri- 
bulation. 

El-bethel, the God of Bethel. 

Eliab, God my Father. 

Eliezer, help of my God. 

Elihu, my God himself. 

Elijah, God the Lord. 

Eliphaz, endeavor of God 

Elizabeth, oath of God. 

Elisha, salvation of God. 

Enoch, dedicated. 

Enos, fallen man. 

Ephraim, very fruitful. 

Ephratah, abundance. 

Esau, perfectly formed. 

Eshcol, a bunch of grapes 

Ethiopia, burnt face. 

Eve, living. 

Ezekiel, strength of God 

Ezra, a helper. 

Felix, happy. 

Festus, joyful. 

Gabriel, God my excellency. 

Gad, a troop 

Gedaliah, God my greatness. 

Gilead, heap of witness. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



289 



Gomorrah, a rebellious people. 

Goshen, approaching-. 

Habakkuk, a wrestler. ' 

Hagar, a stranger, fearing. 

Haggai, a solemn feast. 

Halleluiah, praise the Lord 

Haman, noise, preparation. 

Hannah, Anna, gracious. 

Heber, a passer over, as Abra- 
ham over the river Euphrates, 
to dwell in Canaan, from 
which he was called the He- 
brew. 

Hephzibah, my delight is in her. 

Herod, glory of the skin. 

Hezekiah, strong in the Lord. 

Hiram, exaltation of life. 

Hobab, beloved. 

Horeb, dryness, desert. 

Hosea, Hoshea, a saviour, or 
salvation. 

Ichabod, where is the glory ? 

Immanuel, God with us. 

India, praise. 

Isaac, laughter. 

Isaiah, salvation of the Lord. 

Iscariot, a man of the bag or of 
murder. 

Ishmael, God will hear. 

Israel, a prince with God. 

Issachar, recompense. 

Ithiel, God with me. 

Jabez, sorrow or trouble. 

Jacob, a supplanter. 

JAH, self-existent, everlasting. 

Jazer, helper. 

Jebus, contempt. 

Jedediah, well beloved. 

Jehoiada, knowledge of the 
Lord. 

Jehoshaphat, judgment of the 
Lord. 

Jehovah, the incommunicable 
name of God, self-existing. 

Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will see 
or provide. 

Jehovah-nissi, the Lord my ban- 
ner. 

Jehovah-shalom, the Lord send 
peace. 

Jehovah-shammah, the Lord is 
there. 



Jehovah-tsidkenu, the Lord our 
righteousness. 

Jemima, handsome as the day. 

Jeremiah, exaltation of the 
Lord. 

Jeroboam, fighting against the 
people. 

Jerubbaal, let Baal defend his 
cause. 

Jerusalem, vision of peace. 

Jeshuran, upright or righteous. 

Jesse, my present. 

Jesus, saviour. 

Jews, people of Judah. 

Joanna, grace or gift of the 
Lord. 

Job, a weeper. 

Jochebed, glory of the Lord. 

Joel, willing, swearing. 

Johanan, John, grace of the 
Lord. 

Jonah, Jonas, a dove. 

Joseph, increase. 

Joshua, saviour. 

Jubilee, sounding of the trum- 
pet. 

Judah, praise the Lord. 

Jupiter, a helping father, a hea- 
then idol-god. 

Kadesh, holiness. 

Kedar, blackness. 

Kenaz, this possession. 

Kidron, obscurity. 

Korah, bald, frozen. 

Laban, shining. 

Lamech, poor, debased. 

Laodicea, just people. 

Lazarus, help of God. 

Lemuel, God with them. 

Levi, joined, associated. 

Lo-ammi, not my people. 

Lois, better. 

Lo-ruhamah, not having obtain- 
ed mercy. 

Lot, wrapped up, or myrrh. 

Lucas, Lucius, Luke, luminous. 

Manasseh, forgetfulness. 

Manoah, rest. 

Mark, Marcus, polite. 

Mars-hill, the court hall at 
Athens. 

Martha, becoming better. 



19 



290 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



Mary, bitterness, or myrrh of 
the sea. 

Massah, temptation. 

Matthias, gift of the Lord. 

Matthew, given of the Lord. 

Melchizedek, king of righteous- 
ness. 

Mercurius, the name of an idol 
god. 

Messiah, anointed. 

Methuselah, he has sent his 
death. 

Micah, humble. 

Michael, Micaiah, Michaiah, 
who is like God ? 

Miriam, Mary, myrrh of the sea. 

Misraim, tribulation. 

Moab, of the father. 

Molech, Melek, king. 

Mordecai, contrition. 

Moriah, bitterness of the Lord. 

Moses, taken out of the water. 

Naaman, agreeable. 

Nabal, a fool, senseless. 

Nahum, comforter. 

Naomi, beautiful. 

Naphtali, my wrestling. 

Nazareth, separated. 

Nebuchadnezzar, Nebo's con- 
queror of treasures, or groans 
of judgment. 

Nebuchadrezzar, Nebo's roller 
of treasures. 

Nebuzaradan, Nebo's winnower 
of lords. 

Nehemiah, comfort of the Lord. 

Nethinims, given or devoted. 

Nimrod, rebellious. 

Nineveh, handsome. 

Noah, rest, or consolation. 

Nod, vagabond. 

Obadiah, servant of the Lord. 

Obed, servant. 

Obed-edom, servant of Edom. 

Onesimus, profitable. 

Onesiphorus, bringing profit. 

Othniel, the time of God. 

Padan-aram, the field or palace 
of Aram or Syria. 

Paul, a worker. 

Peniel, face or vision of God. 

Peninnah, pearl or precious 
stone. 



Peter, a rock or stone. 

Pharaoh, the revenger, the cro- 
codile. 

Philadelphia, love of brethren. 

Philemon, affectionate. 

Philip, a lover of horses. 

Pihahiroth, the pass of Hiroth. 

Pisgah, a fortress. 

Potiphar, a fat bull. 

Quartus, the fourth. 

Rab-Rabbi, master. 

Rachel, a sheep. 

Rahab, proud. 

Ram ah, lofty. 

Rameses, thunder. 

Rebekah, pacified. 

Rehoboam, enlarger of the 
people. 

Reuben, a vision of the sun. 

Rhoda, a rose. 

Rome, strength. 

Rufus, red. 

Ruth, satisfied. 

Salem, Salmon, Salome, peace. 

Samaria, guard, prison. 

Samson, his son. 

Samuel, asked of the Lord. 

Sarah, lady or princess. Sarai, 
my lady or princess. 

Satan, adversary. 

Saul, demanded, or sepulchre. 

Seth, placed. 

Sharon, a princely plain. 

Shem, name or renown. 

Shiloh, peace, salvation. 

Simeon, Simon, hearing, obe- 
dient. 

Sin, Sinai, a bush. 

Sion, noise, tumult. 

Sodom, their secret. 

Solomon, peaceable. 

Stephanas, Stephen, a crown. 

Susanna, a lily, rose, or joy. 

Tabitha, clearsighted. 

Tammuz, concealed, the name 
of a Hebrew month, and of 
an idol god. 

Tekel, weight. 

Teraphim, images. 

Tertullus, an impostor. 

Theophilus, a lover of God. 

Timeus, honorable, admirable. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL, 



291 



Timotheus, Timothy, honored 
of God. 

Titus, honorable. 

Tophet, a drum ; the name of a 
place near Jerusalem, where 
children were burnt as offer- 
ings to Moloch, and drums 
beat to drown their cries. 

Trophimus, well educated. 

Tryphena, delicious. 

Tryposa, very shining. 

Tubal, the world. 

Tubal-Cain, worldly possession. 

Ur, fire or light. 

"Uriah, Urijah, light of the Lord. 

Uriel, the light of God. 

TJrim and Thummim, lights and 
perfections. 

Uz, counsel. 

Uzziah, strength of the Lord. 



Uzziel, the strength of God. 

Vashti, a drinker. 

Zaccheus, just, justified. 

Zachariah, memory of the Lord 

Zadok, justified. 

Zebedee, abundant portion. 

Zedekiah, righteousness of the 
Lord. 

Zelotes, jealous. 

Zephaniah, secret of the Lord. 

Zerubbabel, stranger of Baby- 
lon. 

Zeruiah, chains of the Lord. 

Zidon, fishing, hunting. 

Zion, heap of stones. 

Zipporah, beauty, trumpet. 

Zoar, little, small. 

Zurishaddai, the Almighty is my 
rock. 



QUESTIONS 

ON 

BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



PART I. 
CHAPTER I. 

1. What do all Christians consider the Bible to be ? What 
is it frequently styled ? What does this mean ? Why given ? 
What other name does it bear? Why called sacred Scrip- 
tures ? 

2. Why is the Bible called canonical Scriptures ? 

3. What is the meaning of the term canon ? How was it 
applied to the inspired Scriptures ? Why were the lists of 
authentic books called canons ? 

4. What does the term Apocryphal signify? Why given 
to the books which bear this title ? What is said of some of 
these books ? 

5. What is the common name by which the Scriptures are 
known ? What does this term signify ? Why applied to the 
writings of the inspired authors ? 

6. What does Bishop Home say of the Scriptures ? What 
do they show us ? What will they give to the simple ? 

7. How have they been preserved ? What have they be- 
come ? What is said of the Bible ? What are the effects of 
its circulation ? Whose duty is it to spread the Bible ? Are 
you doing all in your power to extend the benefits of this 
blessed book? 



CHAPTER II. 

1. What is the most common and simple division of the 
Scriptures ? What does the former contain ? What the 
latter ? 



2 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

2. From what is the term Testament derived ? What does 
it signify in the Scripture sense of the term ? What then 
might the two portions of the Scriptures be called ? What 
would this imply ? 

3. How were the Old Testament Scriptures still further 
subdivided ? How does our Lord allude to this ? What is 
here meant by the term Psalms ? 

4. What did the division styled the Law embrace ? 

5. How were the Prophets divided ? What did the first 
class comprise ? What the latter ? 

6. Of what did the Hagiographa consist ? 

7. What is said of the division of the Bible into chapters 
and verses ? By whom was the division into chapters made ? 
When? By whom was the Old Testament separated into 
verses? When? By whom the New? When? 

8. What is said of these divisions ? What are their ad- 
vantages ? What is said of the paragraph Bible ? 

9. What is the received opinion in reference to the collec- 
tion of the books of the Old Testament ? With what excep- 
tions ? By whom were these prepared ? 

10. What is said of the books of the New Testament? 
What would prevent their rapid circulation ? But what had 
happened before the death of the apostles ? What illustration 
is given ? 

11. Who made the first formal catalogue of the New Testa- 
ment ? When did he live ? What is said of him ? 

12. What did his canon contain ? How is it known that 
this omission was unintentional ? Does he mention any othei 
books ? What does this show ? What is said of these cata- 
logues after his day ? 

13. Into what languages were translations of the Scrip- 
tures early made ? From what are the modern versions de- 
rived ? What greatly facilitated the circulation of the Scrip- 
tures ? 

14. When was the first English version of the Bible made ? 
By whom ? Why was it not printed ? What did the bishops 
fear? 

15. By whom was the first English Bible printed ? When ? 
Where ? Who prepared another translation ? When ? To 
whom did he dedicate it ? 

16. When did King James determine upon a new transla- 
tion? Why? 

17. What orders did the king give ? Who were appointed 
to execute it ? Why did only forty-seven enter upon it? 

18. How were these divided ? What did each individual 
do ? What did the whole division then do 1 After its part 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 3 

was finished, where did each company forward its work? 
What method was here pursued ? What was the object of 
this precaution ? How was it secured ? 

19. When was it published? How far has it been re- 
vised ? What does it still remain ? What is said of it in 
point of fidelity, &c. ? Taken as a whole, what is said 
of it? 

20. What is said of Dr. Geddes ? What does he say of 
this translation ? WTiat has Robertson remarked ? 

21. What does Dr. Clarke remark of our English Bible ? 
What other characteristic does he notice ? 

22. What besides a standard translation have our transla- 
tors made ? What is said of the English tongue in their day ? 
How had they achieved the work ? WTiat, therefore, may be 
said of the English Bible ? What alone is superior ? How 
does the doctor close his remarks ? 



CHAPTER III. 

1. Who was the author of the first five books of the Bible ? 
What are they called ? From what ? 

2. What may the Book of Genesis be considered ? Of how 
many years does it contain the history ? When commenced ? 
With what end ? Why did it receive the name of Genesis ? 

3. What is the meaning of Exodus ? Why is the book so 
called ? What does it relate ? What other matters are pre- 
sented ? How long a period does it comprehend ? 

4. What gave the Book of Leviticus its name ? How long 
a period does it embrace 1 

5. What is said of the Book of Numbers ? From what did 
it have its denomination ? The events of what period does 
it record ? 

6. What does Deuteronomy signify ? WTiat does it con- 
tain ? What besides this ? How long a period is com- 
prised ? 

7. What is said of Deuteronomy and Hebrew? WTiat 
may the former be considered? What may be safely as- 
serted ? 

8. From what did Moses derive his name ? Of what com- 
posed ? Referring to what ? 

9. What is said of the history of his education, &c. ? 
What watches over his birth ? Where was he educated ? 
How is he prepared to become a liberator ? 

10. When did he leave Egypt ? Did he enter the land of 



4 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

promise ? Why ? In what, first, did his sin consist ? What 
second ? What third ? 

11. How old was he when he died ? What is said of his 
faculties ? Describe his closing labors. 

12. What did he then do ? For what purpose ? What did 
he behold ? What then happened ? What is said of the place 
of his burial ? Why hidden ? 



CHAPTER IY. 

1. What follows the Pentateuch? What do they com- 
prise ? How long a time is occupied by the events recorded 
in these books ? When commencing ? When terminating ? 

2. What is said of the authors of these books, and the time 
of their writing ? What is evident ? What books are men- 
tioned for illustration ? 

3. Whoever were the writers, of what may we rest assured ? 
What reason is given for this ? What is said of our Lord ? 
What names do these books generally bear ? 

4. What does the Book of Joshua continue ? What period 
does it comprise ? Who is believed to have written the 
greater portion of the book ? What is said of the remainder ? 

5. From whence did the Book of Judges derive its name ? 

6. By whom do the Jews believe the book to have been 
written ? From what compiled 1 

7. How long a period does it comprise ? Of how many 
parts does it consist ? What is the first ? What the second ? 
What the third ? 

8. What is said of the Book of Ruth ? From what does it 
derive its name ? Who is supposed to have been its author? 

9. Whose genealogy does it give ? What does it present ? 
What is said of this young woman? What does it also 
exhibit ? 

10. What is the most probable opinion in reference to the 
authorship of the Books of Samuel ? 

11. What evidence is given that these three persons were 
engaged upon them ? What might Ezra have done ? 

12. What does the First Book of Samuel contain ? How 
long a period ? What the Second ? How long ? 

13. How far do the two Books of Kings continue the his- 
tory ? What do they recount ? 

14. What is evident of the composition of these books ? 
What was the first class ? What is said of these memoirs ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 5 

15. What is the second class of writers ? Who do the Jews 
ascribe them to ? What is the most probable opinion ? 

16. What does the First Book of Kings embrace ? From 
what event ? To what ? 

17. To what occurrence does the Second Book continue the 
history ? How long a period ? What is said of this period ? 
Mention the prophets ? 

18. With what do these books abound? What do they 
mark most clearly ? What do they show ? 

19. What were the Books of Chronicles styled by the 
Jews ? Why ? Who gave them the name they now 
bear ? Why this name ? 

20. What is said in reference to the author ? What is the 
general belief? What is the principal design of these 
books ? 

21. Why are these genealogies of great importance ? What 
might be infallibly known by them ? 

22. Of what are the Chronicles an abridgment ? What 
does the First Book trace ? What afterward give ? What 
does the Second Book relate ? What is the period of time em- 
braced in these books ? 

23. What does the Book of Ezra contain ? What period 
does it comprise ? What interval between the sixth and 
seventh chapters ? 

24. What is said of the last four chapters ? To whom is 
the book ascribed? Why have some persons ascribed the 
first six chapters to another hand ? 

25. Does this follow? What is the first reason for its 
being written by Ezra? How is the diversity of speech 
accounted for ? What is the last consideration ? 

26. Whose son was Ezra ? What was he ? What did he 
obtain from the Persian king? How long did he hold his 
office ? 

27. What was the great work of Ezra ? What did he col- 
lect ? What did he do to them ? In what language did he 
write them ? Why ? 

28. How long is he said to have lived ? How do the Jews 
regard him ? What do they say ? 

29. What is the Book of Nehemiah sometimes styled? 
Why ? What, however, is said of the book ? 

30. How does it commence ? Whom do we have speaking ? 
What is said of the style ? What does it contain ? What 
space of time comprised? By whom was the register 
inserted ? 

31. Where was Nehemiah born ? By whom was he raised 
to office ? What did he not forget ? How did he go up to 



6 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Jerusalem ? Whither did he return ? Where did he die ? 
When? 

32. What is said of Nehemiah ? 

33. From what does the Book of Esther derive its name ? 
What is said of the histoiy it contains ? How is it regarded 
by the Jews ? 

34. What is said of the author of this book ? Why is this 
of small importance ? 

35. What name is omitted in this book ? How is this ac- 
counted for ? 

36. What is said of the Asiatic sovereigns ? What does 
this book attest ? What was highly important ? Who pro- 
bably obtained it ? What will this circumstance account 
for? 

37. What further will this account for ? What is said of 
numerous parentheses ? What are not mentioned ? What is 
said about this ? 

38. How long time is taken up by this book? During 
whose reign ? Whom is he supposed to be ? 

39. What feast was instituted at this time ? Is it now ce- 
lebrated ? What is done on this occasion ? What is said 
of feasting ? What do the rabbins teach ? 

40. Can you relate the manner of celebrating this feast ? 
What do the rabbins say a man may do on the day of Purim ? 



CHAPTER V. 

1. How many poetical books are there ? How are they 
classed in the Jewish canon ? How in our Bibles ? 

2. From whence does the Book of Job derive its name ? 

3. What is said of the Book of Job ? What have some es- 
teemed it ? What, others ? What have some contended ? 
What have others shown with clearness ? What do some be- 
lieve about its date ? What, others ? 

4. What is the first reason given in favor of the opinion that 
such a person as Job lived, as described in this book ? What 
is said of the first two chapters ? What of the remainder ? 

5. What is the second reason? What is said in Ezek. 
xiv, 14? 

6. What is the third reason ? Give some of these names ? 

7. What is the last reason given ? 

8. What is said of his residence ? What is the most pro- 
bable opinion ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 7 

9. What is said of the time when Job lived ? What is the 
first reason given for this ? What the second, third, fourth ? 

10. What is not improbable about the authorship ? What 
would this supposition account for ? 

11. How may it have descended to the days of Moses? 
What may Moses have done ? What does it contain ? Of 
what does it give an account ? 

12. What do we discover through the whole book ? With 
what does it abound ? 

13. Of what is the book full ? Upon what does it throw 
light ? What is finally said of it ? 

14. What is the Book of Psalms entitled in Hebrew? 
Why? What is said of the right of the Psalms to their- 
place ? How has this book been noticed ? Why called the 
Psalms of David ? Mention some of the other authors. By 
whom was the whole arranged ? 

15. Who was the earliest composer of sacred hymns ? 
Who next ? What is said of David ? What is he called ? 

16. What did he do by divine authority? Who continued 
and who re-established this course? What is said of the 
singing of the Jews ? 

17. How is the continuance of this portion of worship con- 
firmed ? Has it yet ceased ? What is said of these sacred 
hymns ? 

18. What ever has existed ? What is said of the language 
in which Moses, &c, worshiped ? Whom did they worship ? 
For what give thanks ? For what looking ? What is said of 
the ancient believer and ourselves ? 

19. What did Athanasius style the Psalms ? What, Basil ? 
What, Luther ? What, Melancthon ? 

20. What may this book be justly esteemed ? What are to 
be found in the Book of Psalms ? 

21. To whom is the Book of Proverbs attributed ? How 
many proverbs is Solomon said to have spoken ? Is he any- 
where said to have collected them ? Who probably performed 
this ? What do the Jewish writers affirm ? 

22. What is the scope of this book? With what is it 
filled? 

23. What does the name Ecclesiastes signify? Who 
wrote it? 

24. What shows this book to be the work of a philosopher ? 
When is it generally supposed that Solomon wrote it ? 

25. What is said of the tendency of this book ? Of what 
does Solomon speak ? What is the scope of the work ? 

26. What is its plan ? What does Solomon show in the 
former part 1 



8 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

27. What in the latter part ? What does it chiefly incul- 
cate? 

28. To whom is the Song of Solomon attributed ? What 
is said of its authenticity ? 

29. What does the author appear to have designed ? How- 
does Bishop Lowth regard the Song ? 

30. What were the sacred writers authorized to do ? What 
is said of this emblem ? What is unquestionable about this 
Song ? What is the whole of it ? How should it be ex- 
plained? What is said of fanciful expositors? What of 
its grand outlines ? 



CHAPTER VI. 

1. What books come next to the poetical ? Why have 
they received this name ? In what order will they now be 
presented ? 

2. Who was Jonah ? What is he generally considered to 
have been ? When supposed to have lived ?. 

3. When does Bishop Lloyd suppose that he prophesied ? 
What is he supposed to have done ? What is said of his per- 
sonal history ? 

4. What is said of the circumstance of his being in the 
belly of a whale ? What objection is made to it ? 

5. What is said of the Hebrew text ? What may be referred 
to by the term "great fish?" 

6. What are met with in the Mediterranean ? What inci- 
dent is related by the naturalist Miiller ? 

7. What is said of the style of Jonah ? What is the scope 
of the book ? 

8. What is said of Amos ? When was he called to the pro- 
phetic office ? What is the burden of his prophecy ? 

10. What have some styled Amos ? What does Bishop 
Lowth remark? What in reference to sublimity and dic- 
tion ? What spirit actuated him ? From whence are the 
images employed by Amos drawn ? 

11. What is said of Hosea ? During whose reigns did he 
prophesy ? When did he die ? 

12. What was he probably ? Where did he reside ? What 
reason is given for this ? What does Bishop Horsley say 
of him ? 

13. What further does he remark in illustration of this ? 

14. What is said of his style ? What is the character of 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 9 

his sentences ? What is said of his transitions ? What of 
his similes ? What does the prophecy owe to these pecu- 
liarities ? 

15. Which prophet is Isaiah in order of time ? Why placed 
first in the Bible ? 

16. What do we know with certainty concerning him? 
When did he discharge his office ? 

17. What tradition have the Jews about his descent ? What 
about his death ? What is said about this tradition ? What 
is the opinion of Aben-Ezra ? 

18. What does the name Isaiah signify ? Why appropriate 
to him ? 

19. What has the sublimity of his prophecy attracted? 
What is said of its being quoted in the New Testament ? 
What has ever rendered it instrumental in conviction, in 
producing comfort and strength ? 

20. What is said of his style ? What is said of Jerome ? 
What is said of it even with all this disadvantage ? 

21. What says Bishop Lowth ? What of his sentiments ? 
What of the composition of his sentences ? 

22. What does Jerome call him ? Why thus ? What other 
name does he give him ? What is ^generally associated with 
his name ? 



CHAPTER VII. 

1. What only is certainly known of Joel ? What does 
tradition state ? What is equally uncertain \ 

2. What is the opinion of modem commentators ? 

3. To what kingdom are his prophecies confined ? Whar 
is the subject of his prophecy ? What are the principal pre- 
dictions ? 

4. What is said of the style of Joel? What particular 
passages of great beauty and force are mentioned ? 

5. What is said of Micah ? When did he prophesy ? What 
is said of his death ? 

6. Whose birth is foretold in his prophecy ? How are the 
Jews taught to regard him ? 

7. What is said of the prophecy contained in the fifth chap- 
ter ? What does it crown ? What does it carefully distinguish ? 
What foretell? 

8. What does this prophecy form ? Where is the fulfillment 
of these prophecies recorded ? 

9. What says Bishop Lowth of the style of Micah ? 



10 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

10. Of what place was Nahum a native? What is said of 
the time when he lived ? 

11. What does he denounce ? 

12. What is said of this prophecy? The destruction of 
what city does he predict ? 

13. How does Bishop Lowth characterize the style of Na- 
hum? What does he say of his prophecy in reference to 
Nineveh ? 

14. What does the prophet Zephaniah give ? When did 
he deliver his predictions ? Who does he resemble ? 

15. What is said of Zephaniah's style ? 

16. What is said of Jeremiah ? 

17. Whom have some supposed his father to have been ? 
What is the only foundation for this opinion ? 

18. What is said of his age when he began to prophesy ? 
What is said of his faithfulness ? What did the prophet live 
to see ? 

19. Where was he taken by the Jews ? What did he con- 
tinue to do ? 

20. What tradition is held concerning his death ? What 
does tradition state in reference to Alexander the Great ? 
What does Blaney observe ? 

21. What does Bishop Lowth say of the style of Jeremiah? 

22. When did he prophesy ? 

23. When did Habakkuk prophesy ? With whom contem- 
porary ? At what time alive ? 

24. What is the subject of his prophecies ? What promise 
is confirmed ? What asserted ? What is said of the concluding 
prayer ? 

25. What is said of the style of Habakkuk? What is 
Bishop Lowth's opinion of the hymn in the third chapter ? 

26. What is said of Daniel's history ? When was he sent 
to Babylon ? What was the character of this first company ? 
WTiat do the Jews believe concerning Daniel ? 

27. How was Daniel regarded in Babylon? What does 
Josephus say of him ? How was his life disturbed ? What 
was ever the result of these attempts ? 

28. What is said of Daniel's age ? What period elapsed 
between the first and last prophecy? How old do some 
suppose him to have been when carried into captivity ? For 
what soon celebrated ? 

29. How old at the date of his last prophecy ? What is 
said of his death ? What does a Jewish writer state ? What 
is quite as probable ? 

30. What does Josephus call Daniel ? How does our Sa- 
viour cite him ? Why is it important to know this ? What 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 11 

reason do they assign for such a course ? What is the real 
one ? 

31. When was this change made ? How do we know 
this ? 

32. What information have we of Obadiah ? What is the 
matter of the prophecy ? What is inferred from this ? 

33. What is said of the writings of Obadiah ? 

34. What does the name Ezekiel signify? What was 
Ezekiel ? Where did he commence prophesying ? 

35. What was the principal scene of his prophecies ? 
Where was Chebar ? What does tradition say of his death ? 

36. What is the general opinion concerning him ? What 
remark is made upon this ? What is supposed concerning 
the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel ? 

37. How does Bishop Lowth characterize his style ? 

38. How old must a Jew be before he could read this pro- 
phecy ? W r hy ? 

39. When was the prophecy of Haggai delivered ? What 
is the common opinion concerning this prophet ? 

40. What is the style of Haggai ? 

41. With whom was Zechariah contemporary ? What 
information have we of his family ? What is presumed from 
the second chapter ? Is anything further known of his life or 
death ? What says tradition of his burial ? 

42. What seems to be his object in his prophecy 1 

43. How does Bishop Lowth esteem his style ? 

44. What does the name Malachi signify ? What is diffi- 
cult to decide ? 

45. What have some supposed concerning this prophecy % 
By whom do they suppose it written ? What is the most 
rational view ? 

46. What was Malachi ? Why is there a propriety in his 
closing the canon ? 

47. What does Bishop Lowth say of it ? 

48. What is said of its majestic style ? 



12 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

PART II. 

CHAPTER I. 

1. How was Canaan divided among the Israelites ? 
What names did the tribes bear? Repeat them. 

2. What is said of Levi? What of Ephraim and Ma- 
nasseh ? 

3. Where did Reuben's possession lie ? For what was it 
noted ? For what was Heshbon celebrated ? Medeba ? 
Aroer, Dibon, and Kedemoth ? 

4. What was the situation of Gad ? What towns were 
here ? For what was Ramoth-gilead noted ? Mahanaim ? 
Penuel? Succoth ? Zaretan? Rabbath-ammon ? 

5. How was the half tribe of Manasseh situated ? What is 
said of Dan ? What phrase expressed the length of the coun- 
try ? What did Jeroboam set up here ? For what purpose ? 
For what was Geshur noted ? Ashteroth and Edrei ? 

6. What is said of Asher ? What noted cities were in its 
borders ? For what was Zarephath celebrated ? 

7. How was Naphtali situated ? What is said of Hazor ? 
Harosheth ? Kadesh-naphtali ? 

8. What was the situation of Zebulon ? What is said of 
Gath-hepher ? Bethulia and Jokneam ? 

9. Where was Issachar ? What is said of Megiddo ? 
What of Shunem ? Dothan ? 

10. Where was Manasseh? What is said of Jezreel? 
Endor ? Ophrah ? Bezek ? 

11. Where was Ephraim? What is said of Samaria? 
Shechem? Shiloh? Abel-meholah ? Joppa? Timnath-serah ? 
Ramah ? 

12. Where was Dan ? What cities were within its limits ? 
What is said of Ashdod ? Gath ? 

13. Where was Simeon ? What cities were here ? What 
is said of Gaza ? Askelon ? Beersheba ? 

14. How was Benjamin situated ? What is said of Jeri- 
cho ? Gilgal? Gibeah? Bethel? Naioth ? Anathoth? Bahu- 
rim ? 

15. What was the situation of Judah ? What is said of 
Jerusalem ? Bethlehem ? Hebron ? Tekoah ? Bethshemesh ? 
Kirjath-jearim ? Adullam ? Engedi ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 13 



CHAPTER II. 

1. Of what should we have some knowledge in commencing 
the study of the New Testament history ? 

2. Where is Palestine situated ? Of what does it form a 
part? 

3. Why was it called the land of Canaan? Why land 
of promise? Why land of Israel? Why land of Judah ? 
Why Holy Land ? Why Palestine ? 

4. W^hat are its most natural boundaries ? What is its 
extent ? Have these boundaries ever varied ? When were 
they the most enlarged ? 

5. What is here said of the history of this country ? From 
its connection with what book is it rendered so interesting 1 

6. What once covered this scene of desolation? What is 
said of its mountains ? What of its roads ? What of the 
people that inhabited it ? 

7. What distinguished person was born here ? What 
became of him ? 

8. What is said of this people and -land since the Saviour's 
death ? Have there been any attempts to recover it ? How 
does it still remain ? 

9. By whom was Palestine settled ? Why were not the 
Canaanites permitted to hold possession of it ? To whom 
had it been promised ? Where were the Israelites before 
they obtained possession of Canaan ? 

10. What is said of the country at this time ? What pro- 
mise concerning it had God given Moses ? How did Moses 
describe it just before his death ? 

11. What is here said of Palestine? What of the 
mountains ? 

12. What is said of its climate ? What during May and 
three succeeding months ? 

13. What is the principal river ? Describe it. 

14. What is said of its banks ? How is the outermost 
formed ? What the state of the river when the Israelites 
crossed ? Where is the account of this ? 

15 What is said of the inner bank ? What take refuge 
here, and what is said of them ? What Scripture allusion to 
this is noticed? 

16. What is the length of the Jordan ? How wide ? What 
its depth ? What is said of the other rivers ? 

17. Name the principal lakes. By what names is the 

20 



14 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

Gennesareth also known ? Where situated ? What is said 
of it? 

18. What is its extent? What is said of its waters ? What 
do they contain ? What cities were upon its shores ? What 
is said of the soil ? 

19. What is said of this district in the days of Christ ? 
What of its appearance now ? 

20. With whose presence was this sea honored ? Where 
did our Saviour reside ? What further is said in this verse ? 

21. Was the sea subject to long storms ? To what was it ? 
What storm is noticed ? 

22. What occurred upon the sea and its shores in the life 
of Christ? 

23. What is said of the present state of the sea ? What of 
the population of its shores ? 



CHAPTER III. 

1. By what name is. Lake Asphaltites commonly known? 
Why thus called ? ( Ans. On account of its dreary, sluggish, 
and deathly appearance.) What was it anciently called? 
Why? What is said of its size? Over the site of what 
cities does this sea now roll? What is said of this val- 
ley ? When was it changed to its present desolate appear- 
ance? 

2. What is said of the country around ? What of the sea- 
shore ? What of the water ? What of its buoyancy ? What 
further is said about the lake ? What of the report concern- 
ing the noxiousness of its vapors destroying birds ? What 
of the remains of cities ? What of the pillar of salt ? 

3. What does Dr. Robinson say of the appearance of the 
lake ? Of its situation ? Of the effect of its situation ? 

4. Has it any outlet? What was formerly supposed? 
What do later investigations prove ? 

5. What is one of the most prominent features of Palestine ? 
What is said of them ? 

6. What is the difference between this land and Egypt? 
How expressed by Moses ? 

7. Upon what do the Egyptians depend for water ? How 
do they increase and retain the effect of its overflow ? 

8. How was it with the promised land ? 

9. What were the most remarkable mountains? Where 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 15 

were they ? What is said of them in winter 1 With what 
did they abound ? 

10. Is allusion ever made to this in Scripture ? Give an 
example. What at the foot of the mountains 1 

11. What is said of the inhabitants ? — soil? — productions ? 
From whom defended ? What people dwell here ? 

12. What is said of the cedar ? Give an instance of an 
allusion to this tree in the Old Testament. 

13. Are there many left ? What does Mr. Maundrell say 
of the size of one of these ? 

14. For what was Hermon celebrated? Where was Gi- 
lead ? What took place here ? What does the name signify, 
and why was it given ? 

15. Where are the Mountains of Abarim ? What were 
the names of one part of these mountains ? What is said of 
Nebo and Pisgah ? What transpired upon Pisgah ? Where 
did Moses die ? 

16. Where was Mount Seir? Who dwelt here? What 
was this mountain afterward called, and why ? Who died 
here? 

17. What is said of Gilboa ? What happened here ? What 
did David say in reference to this event ? 

18. Where was Carmel ? What is said of it ? Was it 
probably ever cultivated ? Who resided in a cave of this 
mountain ? What is said of the fields around ? 

19. What is said of Mount Tabor? Where is it situ- 
ated ? What is said of this plain ? What further of the 
mountain ? 

20. What is seen from its summit ? What is said of the 
Mount of Beatitudes ? What is supposed to have transpired 
here? 



CHAPTER IV. 

1. What was the capital of Palestine? By whom 
supposed to be founded? What then called? Who 
held it in the days of Joshua? What was it called 
by them ? 

2. What is said of the fate of the city? What of its 
situation, — soil, — adjacent valleys? What fountain and 
brook ? 

3. What is said of Mount Zion ?— Moriah ? What valley 
lay between the two ? 



16 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

4. What is said of the Mount of Olives ? — Valley of Jeho- 
shaphat ? — brook Kedron ? — Garden of Gethsemane ? 

5. What is said of Calvary ? Who was crucified here ? 
Where is the place now shown by the monks as Calvary ? 
With what covered ? 

6. What is the situation of the Valley of Hinnom ? What 
was it noted for? What were parents accustomed to do 
here ? To what use was this valley afterward given ? What 
was continually kept here ? Of what did the Saviour use it 
as a figure ? 

7. With what was the ancient city surrounded ? What is 
said of these walls ? 

8. What is said of the temple ? Who built it ? 

9. How many laborers were employed ? How long was it 
in building ? What is further said of it ? By whom was it 
destroyed ? By whom rebuilt ? 

10. What is said of Judea before Christ's appearance ? 
Who became king ? What did he do for the city ? How 
many workmen did he employ upon the temple ? How long ? 
Why did the Jews say they had been forty-six years building 
the temple ? 

11. When did the Jews revolt? What then took place? 
What feast was then being celebrated ? How many people in 
Jerusalem ? Describe the events that followed. 

12. At length what transpired ? What was the fate of the 
temple ? 

13. What is said of the city since that time ? Into whose 
hands did it come ? By whom retaken ? What was erected 
by them ? 

14. When did the Turks gain possession again ? Into 
whose hands did the countiy come in 1832 ? What has 
transpired of late ? What has been fulfilled in the fate of 
Jerusalem ? 

15. What is the present appearance of the city? — its situa- 
tion ? What of Mount Zion ? 

16. What of Mount Moriah? What says Dr. Robinson? 
What was the lamentation of the Saviour over Jerusalem ? 
Have the prophetic words of Christ been fulfilled ? 

17. What is the present population ? How many of these 
are Jews ? From whence, and for what, have they come ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 1? 



CHAPTER V. 

1. Into how many provinces was Palestine divided ? 
What are their names ? 

2. Which was the most northern province ? What did it 
comprise ? What is it naturally ? What are to be seen here ? 

3. What is wanting in Galilee ? Into what was it formerly 
divided ? 

4. What part did Upper Galilee embrace ? By what other 
name was it known, and why ? 

5. What was the principal city of this region ? Where 
situated ? How far from Damascus ? — from Tyre ? What 
was its former name ? Who enlarged it ? By whom was 
this city visited ? What happened while our Lord was here ? 

6. What is said of Lower Galilee ? How many cities and 
towns, according to Josephus ? With whose presence was 
this province honored ? What reasons induced our Saviour 
to frequent this province ? 

7. What are its principal cities and towns ? 

8. Where is Tiberias situated ? To what sea does it give 
name ? By whom founded ? Why called Tiberias ? What 
is further stated concerning it ? 

9. After the fall of Jerusalem, what was removed here ? 
What was here in the second century ? What is the Mish- 
na ? What the Talmud ? How do the modern Jews esteem 
these books ? What is the present state of the city ? 

10. Where were Chorazin and Bethsaida situated ? Who 
resided in the latter ? By whom was it beautified, and what 
named ? What is said of it at the present time ? What me- 
morable words have been fulfilled ? 

11. What is said of Nazareth? What remarkable person 
lived here ? What happened to him here ? 

12. What is said of its situation ? What the most conspi- 
cuous building ? Where erected 1 

13. What is said of Cana ? Whose native place was it ? 

14. Where was Capernaum situated ? Who lived here ? 
What awful imprecation did he pronounce upon them ? What 
is said of its fulfillment ? Can the site of the city be now found ? 

15. What is said of Nain ? Of what was it the scene ? 

16. What of Caesarea ? By whom built ? 

17. What happened here? Who lived here? By whom 
visited ? Who also resided here ? 



18 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



CHAPTER VI. 

1. What was the second general division of the Holy 
Land ? Why so called ? How situated ? Formerly occupied 
by what tribes ? 

2. What is here said of it ? What of its mountains ? What 
is said of its present appearance ? 

3. What will a knowledge of its central position enable us 
to understand ? 

4. What was its capital ? By whom founded ? How long 
did it remain the capital ? What is said of it during this 
time ? 

5. What did Ahab build here ? What other circumstance 
happened here? What is said of a famine transpiring 
here ? 

6. Who inhabited this city after the captivity ? What were 
they called ? 

7. Into whose hands did the city eventually come ? What 
is then said of it ? 

8. Who preached here ? Who was sent here ? What is 
said of the present state of this city ? 

9. By what different names is Sichem called ? What is 
said of its age ? Who pitched his tent here ? What other 
event transpired here ? 

10. What is said of the situation of the city ? What hap- 
pened here just before the death of Joshua ? 

11. What took place here in the time of Rehoboam ? 

12. What is said of this city after the Assyrian invasion ? 
What was built upon Mount Gerizim ? What is said of their 
worship ? 

13. What is the present name of this city ? What trans- 
pired here during our Lord's ministry ? 

14. What is said of this well ? What of the town ? 

15. How large a population? How many Samaritans? 
What is said of them ? 

16. Between what places does Clark, the traveler, make a 
comparison? What has happened to Capernaum and Sa- 
maria? With what success did Christ and the apostles 
preach in these places ? How was he received in Sychar ? 
What is the present appearance of this place ? What may 
we learn from this ? (Ans. That no nation or city is safe 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 19 

in rejecting Christ or his religion.) What country in mo- 
dern times has illustrated this truth ? (Ans. France. She 
rejected the Christian religion and the Bible, and suffered 
one of the most awful and bloody revolutions that his- 
tory records.) 



CHAPTER VII. 

1. What was the third division of Palestine ? What did 
it embrace ? What is said of it ? 

2. What did it comprise ? What is said of its fertility ? 
Why is it so interesting to the student and traveler ? What 
is the capital of this division ? 

3. What are the other most prominent cities and towns ? 

4. What is said of Bethlehem ? What does its name sig- 
nify? What was it expressive of? How was this name 
significant of the character of Christ ? (Ans. Jesus says of 
himself, John vi, 51, " I am the living bread which came 
down from heaven.") Why was it called Bethlehem of 
Judea ? 

5. What was it first called % What is it sometimes styled ? 
Why \ What afflictive event in the life of Jacob happened 
here ? What is said of the pillar over her grave ? 

6. What wealthy man lived here ? Who gleaned in his 
fields ? Of whom did they become the parents ? Whose 
father was he ? What is said of David ? What other event 
transpired here ? 

7. What is this place now called ? How far is it from 
Jerusalem ? What its appearance ? How many inhabitants % 
What around the town ? 

8. What is the most important edifice ? Can much reliance 
be placed upon the tradition \ Describe the church, and the 
place shown as the manger. 

9. How does this compare with the Bible account of the 
place ? What does the evangelist say ? 

10. What is said of Hebron ? How far from Jerusalem? 
What is said of its situation? What was the country- 
called? What is said of this region? What was the 
ancient name of Hebron? 

11. What plain near ? For what was it celebrated ? Who 
visited Abraham here ? Who was buried here ? In what ? 
At what age ? Who besides were buried here ? 

12. Who came thither ? What did they carry back ? What 
is said of the grapes ? To whom was this city given, and why ? 



20 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

13. What did it afterward become ? Who reigned here ? 
What is said of Absalom ? Who is supposed to have lived 
here ? Of whom was it the birthplace ? 

14. What is said of its present situation ? What of the 
region round ? How does the town lie ? Of what are the 
houses built ? What the population ? 

15. What is the object of the greatest interest ? Over 
what built ? What is its size ? What is said of the 
sepulchre ? 

16. What incident is related by Dr. Robinson ? 

17. What remarks are made upon this ? What prophecy 
is noticed ? Where found ? 

18. What is said of Jericho at present ? How far from 
Jerusalem ? How far from the Jordan ? How situated ? 

19. What is said of this plain ? What of the people ? — 
villages ? What of the appearance of the town ? What of 
the palm? 

20. What is said of ancient Jericho ? By whom was it 
conquered? What was threatened against any one who 
should rebuild it? Was it rebuilt? What is said of the 
founder? (Ans. See 1 Kings xvi, 34.) 

21. What was afterward established here ? What was it 
appointed ? Who resided here ? What did he do to the 
town ? Where did he die, and what is said of his end ? 

22. Relate the last act of his life. Did his sister Salome 
perform his command ? 

23. When did our Lord visit Jericho ? What took place 
at that time ? 

24. What is said of the road between this place and 
Jerusalem ? Of what was it the scene ? What is said of 
one of the neighboring heights ? How many inhabitants does 
the town contain ? 

25. What is the present name of Joppa ? Where situated ? 
WTiat was it formerly ? What is said of King Solomon ? Who 
embarked from this port, and on what occasion ? 

26. What is said of the gospel ? What of St. Peter ? What 
of Cornelius ? How is the present town situated ? What 
upon the south ? — north ? — east ? 

27. By whom was Lydda built? What was its ancient 
name ? What did the Romans call it ? Where situated ? What 
did Peter do here ? For what is the town now distinguished ? 

28. Describe the situation of Bethany. For what was it 
interesting ? How far from Jerusalem ? 

29. What is here said of it in reference to our Lord ? With 
whom did he form an acquaintance ? How was he affected at 
the death of Lazarus ? What did he work in his behalf? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 21 

30. What took place here six days before his last passover ? 
Who came from Jerusalem ? How did he enter Jerusalem ? 
What is said of the crowd ? 

31. What happened here forty days after his resurrection ? 

32. What is said of Bethphage ? What is the present name 
of the town ? 

33. What is said of Rama? Was there another town of 
the same name ? Where situated ? What does its name 
signify ? Why given ? What is it sometimes called, and 
why? 

34. What is said of its situation? What does it com- 
mand ? What is it commonly supposed to be ? Who resided 
here? 

35. Where was Emmaus ? For what noted ? Where is 
the account of this conversation ? 



CHAPTER VIII. 

1. What is said of the remaining divisions ? 

2. What was the fourth division ? What did it comprise ? 

3. What is said of the situation of Abilene ? From what 
did it derive its name ? What is it supposed to have been ? 
In the borders of what tribe ? 

4. How was Trachonitis bounded ? In what did it abound ? 
What did these shelter ? 

5. To whom did Ituraea belong ? Where was it situated ? 
When had Herod's son Philip charge of these two cantons ? 
Whence was its name derived ? What other name did it 
bear ? What is said of its fertility ? 

6. What is said of Gaulonitis and Batanea ? 

7. What does Pareea include ? By whom was it anciently 
possessed ? What was its principal place ? Why was this 
fortress erected ? For what celebrated ? 

8. What is said of the province of Decapolis ? Are geo- 
graphers agreed concerning these cities ? From whom do 
we obtain information of them ? For what was Damascus 
noted ? What Philadelphia ? Mention some of the other 
towns ? What is said of Pella ? 

9. What was the fifth division ? By whom added ? What 
did it comprise ? 

10. When did the Idumeans gain possession ? By whom 
were they subjugated ? What did they embrace ? What did 
they still retain ? 



22 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

11. Were all the cities within the bounds of Palestine 
conquered by the Jews ? Mention two that retained their 
independence. 

12. To what did they belong ? For what were they dis- 
tinguished ? Where were they situated ? Within the limits 
of what tribe was Sidon ? What is said of its inhabitants ? 

13. What is said of it in our Saviour's time ? What now ? 
What its present name ? What has its sins brought down 
upon it ? 

14. By whom was Tyre founded ? How far distant ? How 
did it soon compare with Sidon ? What is said of the 
antiquity of these cities? What is said of the commerce 
of Tyre ? 

15. What king is mentioned ? For whom, and devoted to 
what purpose, did he transport timber ? From whence ? How 
was the city built ? What is said of the city ? Its merchants ? 
With what did it abound ? 

16. On account of what did the Almighty visit it? By 
whom, and how long, was it besieged ? What was the 
result ? What did the inhabitants then do ? What is then 
said of the city ? By whom was it again taken ? What is 
said of the siege ? 

17. What is said of it now ? What of its harbor? Who 
only moor their vessels here ? Where are their huts ? What 
prophecy is thus fulfilled ? Where recorded ? 



PART III. 
CHAPTER I. 

1. By what other names were the Jews known ? Whose 
descendants are they ? Why called Hebrews ? Why Israel- 
ites ? Why Jews ? 

2. Where was Abraham born? What is said of him? 
When did God call him ? For what purpose ? 

3. What did he do at the command of God ? How old was 
he ? Where did he live ? 

4. What were the names of his sons ? What is said of the 
descendants of Ishmael ? Of whom was Isaac the father ? 
How old was Abraham when he died ? 

5. What were the names of Isaac's sons ? Whose father 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 23 

was Esau ? Whose, Jacob ? What brought the family of Ja- 
cob into Egypt ? When was this ? Where did they settle ? 

6. What happened after Joseph's death ? 

7. What is said of Moses ? When did he lead them forth ? 
Where did he lead them ? 

8. What memorable mountains in this desert ? For what 
is Sinai noted ? Hor ? Seir ? 

9. How long were they in the desert ? For what purpose ? 
In what did they dwell ? When, and under whose command, 
did they cross the Jordan ? 

10. By whom was Canaan then inhabited ? What is said 
of these nations ? What did God do with them ? 

11. What was the first government of Israel in Canaan? 
How long did it last ? By whom was the national govern- 
ment administered ? How many of these judges were there ? 
Who the first ? The last ? Mention the most noted. 

12. Who was the first king ? When anointed ? Who suc- 
ceeded him ? 

13. What is said of the kingdom in the reign of David and 
his son ? What did it include ? 

14. To what purpose was the rich spoil obtained, applied ? 
What is said of this period ? Who came to Solomon ? When 
was the temple dedicated ? 

15. What happened after the death of Solomon? What 
were the two tribes styled ? What, the ten ? Who was the 
first king of Israel ? What was carried on between the two 
divisions ? 

16. How long did the kingdom of Israel continue ? By 
whom ruled ? By whom conquered ? When ? What is 
said of them ? How are they now spoken of? 

17. How long did Judah continue ? What then happened ? 
Who were among the captives ? 



CHAPTER II. 

1. How long did the Jews remain in captivity ? By whose 
permission did they return ? When did the first company go 
up ? Under whose command ? Attended by whom ? 

2. What were laid, and what was commenced? What 
soon happened? 

3. In whose reign did the work go on ? What is said of the 
city and the walls ? Who was commissioned to go up and 
rebuild them ? 



24 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

4. What is said of him ? To what empire did Jerusalem 
remain tributary from this time ? Under whose direction ? 

5. What is said of Alexander ? Why did the high priest 
refuse ? What did Alexander resolve upon ? How were the 
Jews affected ? What dream had the high priest ? 

6. How was Alexander affected by this ? What reason 
did he give for his treatment of the procession ? 

7. What did he do ? What did the high priest do while he 
remained in Jerusalem ? How was Alexander affected by 
this ? What did he do for the Jews ? 

8. What happened upon the death of Alexander ? What is 
said of the high priest's office at this time ? WTiat enraged 
the king of Syria against them ? What did he do ? 

9. What did he procure to be done two years after ? What 
did he determine in reference to their religion ? What did he 
command ? 

10. What is said of the Jews ? What was then their state ? 
Who fled at this time ? What did he do ? 

11. What is said of his successors? What did they at 
length do ? 

12. Between whom did a contention arise ? To whom was 
it referred ? What course did Aristobulus pursue ? What 
did Pompey do ? Whom did he make high priest ? 

13. What was Judea from this time? How long until 
Christ ? By whom were the walls rebuilt ? By whom was 
Antipater succeeded ? What is said of him ? 

14. What remarks are made upon this period ? Who now 
came into the world ? 

15. What did Herod do for Jerusalem? What was his 
greatest work ? What is said of the time employed in its 
reconstruction ? 

16. How large was the temple ? What is said of the sanc- 
tuary ? What of the stones ? What remarkable prediction 
of the Saviour concerning them has been fulfilled ? 



CHAPTER III. 

1. A knowledge of what, will throw additional light 
upon the study of the New Testament ? What is said of 
these sects in the time of Christ ? 

2. What is said of the Pharisees ? When did this sect 
arise ? From what did they derive their name ? Why did 
they take it ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 25 

3. What was the effect upon the people of their apparent 
sanctity ? How did the great regard them ? What did they 
obtain ? What is said of them in our Saviour's time ? 

4. In addition to the law of Moses, what did they hold ? 
How did they regard this unwritten law? What were some 
of its duties ? Why did they fast Thursday and Monday ? 
What are phylacteries ? 

5. What is said of some of these traditions ? What is said 
of them, in spite of their great pretensions ? For what did 
our Lord rebuke them ? 

6. Of whom was the sect of the Sadducees composed? Was 
it as large as that of the Pharisees? From whom derived? 
Whose pupil was he ? What did Sochaeus teach ? What is 
said of Sadoc, and what inference did he draw ? 

7. What other doctrines did they hold in connection with 
this ? What did they reject? Among what classes did this 
sect principally spread ? Why ? 

8. What is said of the Essenes ? What did they think reli- 
gion consisted in ? What is said of some of them ? What of 
those who lived in society ? 

9. What is observed of both classes ? Did they believe in 
the immortality of the soul ? Did they in the resurrection of 
the body ? How did they regard the law ? 

10. Why is it probable that this sect escaped the censure 
of Christ ? 

11. What others are often mentioned in connection with 
the foregoing ? Were they, strictly speaking, a distinct sect ? 
What is said of them ? In what were they skillful ? What is 
said of them upon the sabbath ? 

12. Whence did they derive their name ? What did they 
at length become ? What is said of the term lawyer ? What 
distinction is sometimes made ? 

13. When the ten tribes were carried captive, how were 
their cities filled ? What were they called, and why ? To 
what was the country exposed? What did the inhabitants 
think the cause? For what did they send to the king? 
What did the priest probably bring with him ? What was 
the result ? 

14. What did the Samaritans desire of the Jews upon 
their return from captivity ? How was the request treated ? 
What was the result ? 

15. What is said of Samaria from this time ? What is said 
of Manasseh ? What did his father Sanballat build for him ? 
Where ? What is said of the worship since ? Who destroyed 
this temple ? 

16. What is said of the hatred between the Jews and Sa- 



26 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

maritans in the time of Christ ? What part of the Bible do 
they receive ? Have they made any alterations in it ? What 
is said of their religious rites ? 

17. Mention some of their religious practices. What are 
their great feasts ? How many are now left ? Where are 
they ? What is said of them ? 

18. What other sect is mentioned in addition to the 
above? Are they strictly a religious sect? What were 
they noted for? What is it supposed was meant by the 
" leaven of Herod ?" 

19. What were the Galileans ? Who was their leader ? 
When did they first rise ? What was the end of the insur- 
rection ? Why, probably, might Pilate have asked Christ if he 
was a Galilean ? 



CHAPTER IV. 

1. To what are we now to direct our attention ? What is 
the first noticed ? 

2. For what purpose was the tribe of Levi chosen ? What 
were their duties before the temple was constructed ? 

3. What took place after the temple was completed ? To 
what offices did David appoint six thousand of them ? What 
other duties had they ? In the temple, what their duties ? 

4. How many did they number in David's time ? How 
many were appointed constantly to attend upon the temple ? 
Into how many courses divided ? How many at a time, and 
how long, did they serve ? How many officers and judges ? 
How many porters and singers ? How old were they to be 
before they were consecrated ? How were they supported ? 
How, while at the temple ? 

5. What is said of the origin of the priests ? What were 
their duties ? 

6. Into how many classes divided ? How long did they 
serve at a time ? When did a new course commence ? How 
did they determine their several tasks ? Give an example 
of this. What were some of the duties ? 

7. What was to be attended to every morning ? How was 
this golden censer kindled ? 

8. Of what was this beautiful ceremony significant ? While 
the incense was ascending, what were the priest and people 
doing? Of what was the ascending incense symbolical? 
What is said of the coals by which it was ignited ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 27 

9. In order that our prayers be acceptable, how must they 
be offered ? 

10. How many of the Levitical cities were assigned to the 
priests ? What other means of sustenance had they ? 

11. What is said of the high priest ? Of the office ? Of his 
influence ? What was his peculiar duty ? 

12. Of what was he president ? What his rank ? How long 
was this office held ? How was the high priest appointed 1 
When was this order interrupted ? What is said of the Mac- 
cabean princes ? During and after our Saviour's times, what 
is said of this office ? 

13. What is said of the dress of the ordinary priest? How 
many kinds of garments specified ? What the first ? second ? 
third ? fourth ? 

14. What first in addition w r as peculiar to the high priest ? 
Second ? Describe it. Third ? Describe it. 

15. What is said of these words ? What do we know cer- 
tain ? What was the fourth article of dress ? What was this 
plate called ? 

16. What is said of these garments ? What did he wear 
ordinarily ? 

17. Of whom was the high priest a type ? In what 
respects ? 



CHAPTER V. 

1. To what do we now direct our attention ? What is said 
of the temple ? 

2. Of what did this edifice take the place? By whom 
erected ? By whom rebuilt ? Beautified by whom ? 

3. What is said of the temple proper? Of what did the 
remainder of the building consist ? For what purposes were 
the apartments used ? 

4. How large a circumference does the building co- 
ver? How many gates opened into it? What is said 
of them ? What one in particular is noticed ? What 
happened here ? 

5. What was the outer court called ? Why ? To what 
purpose did the Jews apply this court ? Why ? What is said 
of Christ in this connection ? 

6. What was the next court? Into what divided? For 
what did the Jews use these courts ? 

7. What was the next court ? What was here ? Who alone 



28 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

could enter ? Of what did the temple itself consist ? What 
is said of the portico ? How was it entered ? 

8. What came next ? By what was this separated from 
the most holy place ? What is said of this ? What the 
size of the holy of holies ? Who only could enter it, and 
when ? 

9. With what was it covered ? What the effect when the 
sun shone upon it ? How did it appear at a distance ? What 
caused it ? 

10. What were the first forms and duties in the morning 
service ? 

11. What was the next duty ? What did the president or- 
der ? What was done by those who held the keys ? What 
were then blown ? For what purpose ? What was done at 
this moment ? What else had the appointed priests attended 
to in the holy place ? 

12. How were the body of the priests engaged at this 
time ? What was done after this ? What did the priests do 
who were to offer incense ? What is said of the priest with 
the censer of coals ? Who was left in the holy place ? 

13. What now happened ? What was now done at the 
great altar ? What did the four priests do ? What did one 
of them there pronounce ? Whose lot was it to burn incense ? 
Who appeared to him ? Why were the people anxious about 
him ? 

14. After this, what was offered ? What did the Levites 
then do ? At every pause, what is said of the people ? 

15. What was offered during the middle of the day ? What 
is said of the evening service ? 

16. What is said of the synagogues? For what were they 
used ? Did they offer sacrifices in them ? 

17. What is said of the origin of synagogues ? 

18. Was the form of the building always the same? How 
distinguished from proseuchse ? What was esteemed a great 
mark of piety ? What had each synagogue ? 

19. How did the people sit ? How the elders ? the females ? 

20. What is said of the ruler of the synagogue? For what 
noted ? What additional office had they ? 

21. What was the second officer ? Wiry so called ? What 
the third ? What his duty ? 

22. What the first exercise in the synagogue? second? 
How were the Scriptures divided? What the third? When 
performed ? 

23. Who were called upon to read ? How did they read ? 
What was done with the book ? In what position did they 
preach ? When was synagogue worship held \ 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 29 



CHAPTER VI. 

1. What is the subject of this lesson ? To what does the 
term sabbath ordinarily refer ? 

2. What is said of the observance of this day by the Jews ? 
Upon what day ? Why was it changed ? 

3. When did it commence and end ? What was Friday 
called ? How did the Jews spend the day ? What addition 
to the temple worship ? What were the synagogue exer- 
cises ? 

4. Besides the sabbath, what were instituted ? What is 
said of all the males ? 

5. When was the passover instituted ? In commemoration 
of what ? With what were their door-posts sprinkled ? 

6. What was this festival also called? Why? What 
custom of the inhabitants of Jerusalem during this and other 
feasts is noticed ? What incident in our Lord's life does this 
illustrate ? 

7. When did the passover commence ? What was slain ? 
At what hour ? For what is this hour memorable ? Describe 
the manner. 

8. What was done with the remainder? Why did they 
use unleavened bread ? Why bitter herbs ? How long did 
this feast continue ? How was a neglect of this feast 
punished ? 

9. Of what was the paschal lamb a type ? How ? 

10. Why was the feast of pentecost thus named ? What 
was it also called, and why ? Why also called the feast of 
harvest ? 

11. What was commemorated upon this day? What is 
said of the attendance upon this feast ? What happened 
upon such an occasion under the preaching of Peter? How 
long did it continue ? 

12. How long did the feast of tabernacles last ? In com- 
memoration of what was it instituted ? What is it likewise 
called ? Why ? 

13. What is said of the Jews during this feast ? What 
were they accustomed to carry about ? Singing what ? What 
other custom is noticed ? 

14. What further is said of the ceremonies of this day ? 
What act of Christ's may have an allusion to this ? 

21 



30 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



CHAPTER VII. 

1. What is said of marriage in the earliest ages ? Describe 
the ordinary process of obtaining a wife. 

2. Did the woman receive anything from her parents ? 
What then was called her dowry? What is said of the 
Arabians ? 

3. What if the man was too poor to give the price ? Who 
did thus ? How long did he serve ? (Ans. Fourteen years : 
seven for each wife.) In later times, when was the contract 
made ? 

4. What is said of the manner of contracting, or espousal ? 
How was this sometimes done ? 

5. What is said of a Jewish virgin thus betrothed ? What 
will a knowledge of this explain ? 

6. How much time intervened between the espousal and 
the marriage ? How was it spent ? What is said of the 
eight days preceding the marriage ? What allusion did our 
Saviour make to this custom ? 

7. Where did the marriage ceremony take place ? De- 
scribe it. What was it sometimes closed with ? What is 
there said of the bride ? 

8. By w r hom was the procession directed ? What was his 
duty ? When did it set off? Who attending ? What other 
company were in waiting ? Where ? For what waiting ? 
What then followed ? 

9. If the circumstances of the bridegroom permitted, what 
were prepared ? Where placed ? 

10. How would a refusal or neglect of these dresses have 
been considered ? What allusion did Christ make to this 
custom ? 

11. Relate the scene described by Mr. Ward. 

12. What was the first duty upon the death of friends ? 
Who performed this ? What case is mentioned ? What pro- 
mise was then fulfilled ? 

13. What did the company then do ? What followed ? 
What was then done to the body ? After bathing, what 
followed ? 

14. Who invented, and first practiced, embalming ? Why 
were bodies embalmed ? Describe the process. 

15. How long did this continue ? What then followed 1 
How long did the mourning continue ? Who was thus em- 
balmed and mourned ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 31 

16. What more expeditious process was there ? Who was 
thus embalmed ? By whom ? 

17. How were they ordinarily buried? How carried to 
the grave ? 

18. What is said of mourners ? How was it upon the death 
of Jairus's daughter? How long did funeral services last 
among the Jews ? 

19. What is said of their burial places ? What were they ? 
How closed ? What is said of the sepulchres of the kings ? 
What comparison did our Lord make ? 



CHAPTER VIII. 

1. By what name is the sanhedrim known in the New 
Testament ? Is it mentioned in the Old ? When formed ? 

2. How many members ? Who was the president ? • By 
whom assisted ? From whom were the members chosen ? 
For what noted ? 

3. Where did they assemble ? Where did the prince sit ? 
How many secretaries ? What their several duties ? 

4. What is said of this council ? of its decisions ? Who 
appeared before this tribunal ? For what purpose ? Who 
was condemned by this council ? What commission did Saul 
receive from them ? What is said of Peter ? 

5. What other councils were there ? Of what did these 
consist ? W"hat did they determine ? Who alludes to these ? 
What is the Saviour's language ? 

6. What do we not find in the east ? Where does the tra- 
veler seek accommodation ? How long can he stay there ? 
At what price ? With what is he provided ? 

7. What is said of the room ? What does the traveler take 
with him ? Where does he obtain his food ? How cook it ? 

8. By whom are these built ? How do they appear ? 
What is said of the interior ? Where do the occupants sit 
by day ? Where sleep ? 

9. What is said of the floor ? What in the centre ? 

10. Are stables connected with all ? What is said of the 
better sort ? WTiere situated ? Where is the entrance ? 

11. What is said of the stable? What of the platform? 
From what were the horses fed ? 

12. What else is often found in the stables ? For what 
are they used ? Who else sometimes find accommodations 
here ? 



32 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

13. Who was probably born in such a place ? What was 
the manger in which he was laid ? 

14. What impressed this upon the mind of an eastern tra- 
veler ? 

15. How were writings first preserved ? From what did 
the Egyptians manufacture a substance for writing ? What 
English word is derived from this ? 

16. When it was desirable to preserve the writing, upon 
what was it written ? From what was this made ? What 
word is derived from vellum ? What were written upon 
these parchments ? 

17. To what were they attached ? What was the process 
of reading ? How was the parchment preserved ? What 
instrument was used for writing upon it? 

18. What were tablets ? How secured ? 

19. When it was not desired to preserve the record, what 
was used ? Who probably used such a one ? 

20. How were all books made ? What is said of the labor 
and expense ? Were many written ? Who only could 
obtain them ? What is said of the price of a Bible at 
this time ? 



CHAPTER IX. 

1. A short description of what disease commences this 
lesson ? Where do we find frequent allusions to it ? What 
is said of this disease ? Where most prevalent ? 

2. Where first exhibited ? What the earliest appearance ? 
What is said of these spots ? What of their increase ? What 
of their color ? What are the names of the different kinds ? 

3. What is further said of the enlargement of the spots ? 
Where was this disease seated ? Is it inherited ? When 
does it manifest itself under these circumstances ? 

4. How long may such persons live ? What is said of 
these years ? Describe the progress of the disease. 

5. How does it sometimes commence ? How continue ? 

6. Was this disease contagious ? Who appointed mea- 
sures for preventing this ? If the person was healed, to 
whom did he show himself? If pronounced healed, what 
followed ? 

7. When it proved to be the malignant kind, what was 
the person obliged to do? Where did he live? How did 
he obtain food ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 33 

8. How were these persons distinguished ? When met, 
what did they cry ? How was this disease esteemed ? 
What did our Lord exhibit, in healing those thus af- 
fected ? 

9. What has given rise to discussions and differences of 
opinion ? 

10. What have some supposed ? 

11. What is said of those who hold a contrary opinion? 
What is their opinion ? Of what do they conceive the tri- 
umphs over evil spirits to be an essential point ? What verse 
of Scripture is quoted ? 

12. What reasons induce Dr. Campbell to form this opinion ? 
If he should deny the existence of these evil spirits, how must 
he regard the sacred historians ? What does he say of our 
Lord and his apostles ? 

13. What distinction does Bishop Porteus notice ? What 
portion of Scripture is noticed as an " illustration ?" What 
remarks are made upon it ? Of what is this a plain proof? 

14. WTiat ojection is answered ? How ? 

15. What other reply is made ? What is the remark of 
Lightfoot ? 

16. What does he add in reference to magic ? 

17. What may we then rely upon ? What proofs sustain 
these views 1 Does the relation of these possessions form 
a large or small portion of the facts related by the evan- 
gelists ? If we apply to them a hidden or spiritual mean- 
ing, what is said of the rest of the Gospels ? What will be 
the result ? 

18. What practical remark is made concerning what we 
cannot comprehend ? With what exhortation does the lesson 
close ? Have you thus read the Bible ? 



CHAPTER X. 

1. What is worthy of remark ? How do they now appear ? 
Of what is this true ? What is said of it ? 

2. What substances are commonly used for dresses ? Upon 
what does the quality of the dress depend ? What colors are 
preferred ? 

3. What is said of their garments ? 

4. What is the simplest and most ancient dress ? What is 
said of it ? What is said of the garment the Saviour wore ? 

3 



34 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

5. How were the male and female dresses distinguished ? 
How was the tunic fastened ? For what other purposes was 
the girdle used ? 

6. What garment was worn over the tunic ? What is said 
of it ? WTiat were the skirts ? For what purpose does this 
garment now serve the Arab ? 

7. What is further said of its looseness, &c. ? What must 
be done while working? What scripture does this illus- 
trate ? 

8. For what purpose are the ends in front used ? What 
does this illustrate ? When was this garment strewed in the 
way ? 

9. When was a person esteemed naked ? To what young 
man is allusion made ? How is the occurrence described ? 

10. What covering did the ancient Jews wear upon their 
heads ? except when ? Why on these occasions ? At what 
other times did they draw their mantles over their heads ? 
What custom came into use in later days ? 

11. With what was the Jewish lady covered when in pub- 
lic? Whom does St. Paul censure? Why? What effect 
would be produced by this ? 

12. How did the ladies wear their hair ? What is said of 
it ? What does Paul say of this ? 

13. How did the men wear their hair? their beard? 
What is said of the beard ? What do we read of Aaron's 
beard ? 

14. What is said of the legs ? With what were the feet 
covered ? Of what made ? Upon what fastened ? What 
was customary upon entering a house ? Why was this ne- 
cessary ? 

] 5. How many kinds of sheep in Palestine ? How distin- 
guished ? How heavy were the tails of some ? 

16. In what did the wealth of eastern men consist ? What 
is said of these flocks ? Who remained with them ? 

17. Who fed their father's flocks ? Who, on the hills of. 
Bethlehem ? To whom was the Saviour announced? 

18. What was formed between the shepherd and his flocks ? 
What was customary? What did the sheep soon learn? 
Would they mind a stranger ? 

19. What did a late traveler see on Lebanon ? What did 
he notice ? How did they follow ? 

20. What did he see them do ? What does he say of them, 
when they reached the watering place ? How were they 
affected toward strangers ? 

21. What does this beautifully illustrate? Repeat the 
passage. 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 35 

22. What are sheep used to typify in the Scriptures? 
Why ? What is said of the term lost sheep ? 

23. What was Peter commanded to do ? Meaning of this ? 
What was twice enjoined upon him ? What does this mean? 
What is the Saviour styled ? Why ? 



CHAPTER XI. 

1. What is said of the houses in Judea? With what was 
the roof surrounded ? By whose command ? 

2. Of what were their houses built? the poorer class ? 
offering an easy access to whom ? 

3. What w r as the shape of these houses? What in the 
centre ? Where were the dwelling rooms ? For what pur- 
poses was the lower story used ? What is said of the second 
story, in houses of the rich ? 

4. Where is allusion often made to this upper room? 
What happened in one of these rooms during the preaching 
of Paul? 

5. What is said of the open square in the centre ? How 
protected ? What is further said of this space ? 

6. What are the roofs often used for? W T hat is usually 
built upon the roof ? For what purpose ? What is said 
of Peter? 

7. How could the top of the house be reached ? How did 
the friends of the paralytic man place him before Christ, when 
the entrance was thronged? Did they injure the house by 
so doing? 

8. What is said of the furniture of the houses ? What were 
used instead of chairs ? How were their beds constructed ? 
Was it then a heavy burden for a well man to bear ? Who 
thus bore his bed ? 

9. What had the rich ? What is said of these couches ? 
In what posture did they partake their meals? How then 
could the beloved disciple be said to lean upon the Saviour's 
bosom ? How could Mary anoint his feet while our Lord was 
at the table ? 

10. What is said of their culinary or kitchen instruments ? 
Of what did the hand-mill consist ? How many worked it ? 
Describe it. Describe the process of grinding. 

11. When and by whom was the corn ground ? What could 
be heard at break of day ? What prophecy of our Lord is illus- 
trated by this custom ? What verse of Isaiah is quoted ? 



36 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

12. What is said of their ovens \ How did they bake with 
them ? How were the ovens built and used at other times I 

13. What did they use for the preservation of their water? 
How was water often brought ? How many gallons would 
these jars hold ? 

14. In what did they keep their wine and milk, &c. ? 
What is said of them when old? What does this illus- 
trate ? 

15. How did the Hebrews compute time ? Were hours 
known in the time of Moses ? How was the civil day 
divided ? 

16. Where are hours first mentioned in the Bible ? By 
whom invented ? When did the Jews, after this, commence 
their day ? When did it end ? With what would their first 
hour correspond ? their third ? their sixth ? their ninth ? 

17. When was the morning sacrifice prepared ? When 
offered ? Which were the hours of prayer ? According to 
their reckoning, how was the night divided ? Describe the 
first watch ? the second ? the third ? What was it called ? 
the fourth ? What was it called ? 

18. How was the Jewish year divided ? What kind of 
months ? What are lunar months? Would twelve of these 
equal a solar year? What is a solar year? How many 
days in twelve lunar months ? What would be the result 
every year ? 

19. What is said of their festivals? Where would the 
spring month be liable to fall sometimes ? How did they 
regulate this difference between the lunar and solar year? 
How often was this additional month required ? 

20. When did their civil year begin? Why at that time? 
When did the sacred year commence ? What happened in 
that month ? 



CHAPTER XII. 

1. What tree is common in Palestine and the East? 
Where does it flourish ? What is said of it ? Of what was 
it an emblem ? What is said in Micah ? 

2. When do they begin to sprout ? Which first appear, the 
fruit or the leaves ? What does Shaw say ? What was this 
shooting out considered ? 

3. When did our Lord approach a certain fig-tree ? What 
did he expect to find ? What reason had he for this ? Why 
did he not ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 37 

4. What did he do to the tree ? What did he intend to 
prefigure ? 

5. What is said of the early fruit ? What of the dried ? 

6. What is said of the olive-tree ? How many kinds are 
mentioned in the Scriptures ? What are they ? 

7. How is the cultivated olive described ? When does it 
put forth its flowers ? Describe them. What is said of the 
fruit ? What of the wild olive \ 

8. How long does the olive flourish ? What then happens ? 
Where is the tree found ? What is said of the Jews ? Is it 
referred to in the Bible ? What do we read of it ? What 
mountain did it give name to ? 

9. How were the olives gathered ? Where is this alluded 
to ? Read the passages. 

10. What rendered these trees so valuable ? How was this 
extracted ? 

11. What does the tree require ? For what is it, therefore, 
used ? Of what else is it a symbol ? Why ? What does the 
Psalmist say ? 

12. How is the rejection of the Jews, and the reception of 
the Gentiles, represented in the eleventh of Romans ? How 
does Paul foretell the return of the Jews to God's favor 
again ? 

13. What is said of the sycamore-tree ? How is it 
described ? 

14. What is its color ? How often did it bear fruit ? What 
is said of the fruit ? 

15. What is said of its roots ? What allusion to this does 
our Lord make ? Who mounted one of these trees ? For 
what purpose ? 

16. What is said of the mustard plant ? What of the 
ordinary plant ? 

17. What has been noticed ? Who described a tree of this 
kind ? What do they say of it ? 

18. What do they think probable ? What reason do they 
give? 

19. What is said of the vine ? What of the grapes ? What 
of the Israelites ? 

20. Where and how cultivated ? What did Jacob say of 
Judah ? 

21. What is done in Persia after vintage ? Why are not 
the vines injured by this ? What does Malte Brun say of the 
vines ? What of the grapes ? 

22. When gathered, what was done with them? What 
allusion is made to this in Scripture ? What does this 
signify ? 



38 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

23. What is said of this employment ? What allusion is 
made to this ? 

24. What was around the gate of the temple ? What is 
said of it ? What its value ? How regarded by the Jews ? 

25. When might our Saviour have alluded to this ? 

26. What was sometimes used for fuel ? What allusion 
does the Saviour make to this ? 

27. What is said of the vine ? What of its fruit ? 



CHAPTER XIII. 

1. How did Judea continue to be governed ? What is 
said of these officers ? When did Florus become governor ? 
What is said of him ? What happened ? 

2. Where did the war commence ? What became of Jo- 
sephus ? What was the situation of the country at this time ? 
What is said of Jerusalem ? How many were in the city ? 
How divided ? What was the result of their divisions ? 

3. Who was Titus ? What did he attempt ? How did 
they treat his offers ? What prediction of Christ was then 
fulfilled ? 

4. What fearful portents happened during the siege? What 
is said of the plague ? 

5. What of the intensity of the famine ? How was Titus 
affected by this? What did he soon accomplish? How 
many captives did he take ? How many perished ? What 
is said of the captives ? 

6. What was the fate of the temple ? Who rebuilt the city ? 

7. Who was Barcochab ? When did he appear ? What 
was the end of his revolt ? What was now fulfilled ? Repeat 
the portions of the prophecy given. 

8. What was built on the ruins of Jerusalem ? What on 
the site of the temple ? From what were the Jews forbid- 
den ? What is said of the Christians ? What flourished 
here ? 

9. What raised the city to note again ? Who flocked 
thither ? What is said of Helena ? 

10. What is said of Julian ? What was the result of the 
attempt to rebuild the city ? 

11. What was Jerusalem the resort for many years? 
Why? 

12. When did Chosroes conquer the country ? What did 
he do ? What was its subsequent fate ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 39 

13. What is said of the Turks ? What called especially 
multitudes to Jerusalem at this time ? Who appeared at this 
time in Europe ? 

14. What is said of him ? 

15. What effect had his pleas ? 

16. What is said of the first company? Under whose 
direction did the main army move ? What is said of them ? 
What were their emotions when they stood before Jeru- 
salem ? 

17. What was their success ? How long did they retain 
Jerusalem ? What then happened ? Of what empire did it 
afterward form a part ? Into whose dominion did it then 
come ? What is said of it in 1840 ? What general remark 
made? 



CHAPTER XIV. 

1. What imprecation did the Jews call down upon them- 
selves in the presence of Pilate ? What is said in reference 
to this ? 

2. What have they suffered in all nations ? What hap- 
pened in Germany ? 

3. What were they accused of at the time of the plague ? 
What then happened to them? Who have been their 
foes ? 

4. Of what were they accused at Berne? What was 
commenced against them ? What happened to them at the 
time of the black death ? 

5. What was done in Strasburg ? What is said of their 
sufferings in Spain and Portugal ? How many were 
banished ? 

6. How many perished on the Peninsula ? What is said 
of their condition in France and England ? 

7. What was foretold of them? What has been their 
experience ? What inscription is seen over a city gate in 
Germany ? What is considered a penal offense in Spain ? 
Of what are they a proverb ? 

8. What is remarkable amid their wanderings ? Where 
are they found ? What is said of them everywhere ? What 
is said of the nations that destroyed them ? 

9. Where shall we find the cause of this ? How has the 
inspired writer portrayed their present state ? But were they 
to be utterly destroyed ? 



40 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

12. What cheering prospect is in the future ? Is the time 
known? 

13. What is said concerning this in Deuteronomy, as here 
quoted ? 

14. What remark is made upon this event % 

15. Why was the Lord to do this for them ? 

16. What will then be their state { 

17. What is already taking place ? 

18. For what are we under obligation to the Jew ? Who 
were Jews ? What is further said of them ? 

19. Why are we interested in their recovery ? Repeat the 
closing Scripture quotation. 



PAET IV. 



CHAPT ER I. 

1. 'What is the most interesting and important history 
ever written ? In what is it contained ? In what respect 
does it differ from all other histories % What do you mean 
by its being inspired ? (Ans. Written under the direction 
and guidance of the Holy Spirit.) 

2. What is the first reason given to show the necessity of 
the writers of this history being assisted by the Holy Ghost ? 
What the second ? What the third ? 

3. What did the Saviour promise his disciples ? Being 
thus assisted, what does St. Luke say to his friend The- 
ophilus ? 

4. Was this history written by one man \ By how many ? 
Is it one connected account ? What is said of each writer ? 

5. Do they all relate the same events ? Do they use the same 
terms when they speak of the same occurrence ? Are differ- 
ent circumstances ever introduced? Does this make a 
contradiction ? Of what is this a proof ? 

6. With what should we become acquainted before entering 
upon this history ? What are their names 1 

7. Whose son was St. Matthew ? Where was he born ? 
To what nation did he belong ? What was he also named ? 
Who call him thus when they speak of him ? What was his 
business ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 41 

8. To whom did the Jews pay tribute ? Were they pleased 
to do this ? How did they esteem Matthew's employment ? 
Did this lower him in the estimation of our Lord ? Is not 
one honest employment as honorable as another ? Should 
we despise any man for his business, however humble ? 

9. Where was Matthew's usual residence ? What was his 
proper business ? Where was he when Jesus saw him ? 
What did he do when our Lord called him ? 

10. What is said of him from that time ? For what was he 
thus well qualified ? 

11. After Christ's ascension where did he preach? How 
long ? When did he probably write his Gospel ? With whom 
did he leave it ? For what ? 

12. Where did he preach ? What is said of his ministry 
in Ethiopia ? What was probably his end ? Where ? Have 
we any certain account of the time and manner of his death? 

13. What is the distinguishing trait of St. Matthew's Gos- 
pel ? What does he alone relate ? What is said of his 
lessons of morality ? 

14. To what nation did Mark belong ? Was Mark a He- 
brew name ? What was his Hebrew surname ? Whose son 
was he ? What is said of her ? Under what circumstances 
did Peter once come to her house ? 

15. Under whose preaching was Mark probably con- 
verted ? What did he afterward become ? Whither did he 
attend Peter ? 

16. By whose request did he write his Gospel? Under 
whose superintendence ? What does this exhibit ? Why ? 

17. Why has this Gospel as much authority as St. Mat- 
thew's ? 

18. After his residence in Italy, where did Mark go ? 
What city did he make his residence ? What did he do 
here? 

19. What exasperated the Egyptians against him? On 
what occasion were they greatly aroused ? What did they 
do in their madness ? With what was his soul strength- 
ened ? 

20. What did his persecutors do the next day ? Were 
they satisfied with his death ? What did the Christians do 
with his ashes ? 

21. What are the characteristics of his Gospel ? What 
further does Home say of it ? 



42 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 



CHAPTER II. 

1. Of what place was St. Luke a native ? What occurred 
here ? What was his profession ? Where did he study ? What 
is said of his education? 

2. What did he first become ? Under whose preaching con- 
verted ? What did he become upon this ? On what occasions 
was he with Paul ? What title did he richly merit ? 

3. Is there anything satisfactory know r n of the remainder of 
his life, and of his death ? What did he write in addition to 
his Gospel ? Was he himself an eyewitness of the events he 
recorded ? What then has rendered his Gospel worthy of 
being connected with the others ? 

4. To whom is his Gospel more especially directed ? To 
whom dedicated ? What has he introduced into the narrative ? 
With w r hat has he commenced his history ? Why did not the 
other evangelists ? 

5. Wliat else does he relate ? Mention some of them. Of 
what part of Christ's history does he give interesting details ? 

6. What is said of his style ? What, in the relation of our 
Lord's parables ? 

7. What was St. John by birth ? Whose son ? What his 
father's business ? What is said of his mother ? Whose dis- 
ciple was he ? Who is he supposed to have been ? 

8. What is said of his age V How regarded by our Lord? 
What is said of his temper ? 

9. What was he permitted to witness ? 

10. What w r as he styled ? What honor did he enjoy ? 

11. For what was he thus well qualified ? 

12. How long did he remain in Jerusalem ? Where did he 
then journey ? What city did he make his residence ? 

13. What happened to him under the persecution of Domi- 
tian ? Was he injured ? How did he escape \ 

14. Whither was he banished ? What happened to him here ? 
After the death of Domitian, what is said of him ? 

15. On what account did the churches desire John to write 
his Gospel ? What did Cerinthus deny ? What did he do 
before he composed his history \ 

16. What did he omit ? What does he record not before 
written ? How does he open his book ? 

17. What does he give at length ? What is said of him as 
a writer \ With what is the whole characterized ? How old 
was John when he died ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 43 



CHAPTER III. 

1. What book follows the Gospels ? Of what is it the 
continuation ? Who w r as its author ? 

2. Who affirm that Luke was its author ? By what is this 
corroborated ? To whom are his Gospel and the Acts ad- 
dressed ? Who was Theophilus ? Why not of Palestine ? 

3. Whom did Luke accompany ? Whither ? How long 
did he remain in Rome ? 

4. Is Luke mentioned in Paul's Epistles ? 

5. To what year of Paul's imprisonment is the Acts con- 
tinued ? When could it not, therefore, have been written ? 
When is it supposed to have been written, and why ? 

6. What does Home remark that Luke did not intend to 
write ? What has he omitted ? 

7. How many principal objects does he seem to have had ? 
What was the first ? 

8. W T hy was an authentic account of this matter neces- 
sary? 

9. What was a second object ? By whom was this dis- 
puted ? What did the assertion of this bring upon the apostle 
Paul? To prove this, what does St. Luke relate? What 
besides does he relate at large ? Whose conversion and 
preaching does he relate for the same purpose ? 

10. How did Luke become acquainted with the events he 
relates ? What has been remarked of the Acts of the Apos- 
tles ? 

11. What is worthy of remark? What is said of the dis- 
courses of Peter ? What of the speeches of St. Paul ? 

12. What is said of Paul's discourses before Grecian 
assemblies ? 

13. Of what does the Acts of the Apostles afford abundant 
evidence ? What do we learn from this book ? 

14. With what do its historical details correspond, and 
with what else ? What does this prove, and why ? 

15. What do these evidences authorize us to conclude ? 
What follows, if this history is true? Why does this fol- 
low? 

16. What is said of Paul? 

17. Of what place was he a native ? Where was Tar- 
sus ? 

18. What was he by birth ? How had he obtained this 
privilege ? 



44 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

19. What was his father ? What is said of him ? What 
is said of his relatives in Jerusalem ? 

20. In what was Paul educated ? For what was Tarsus 
celebrated ? By what is his proficiency shown ? 

21. Where did he go from Tarsus ? What did he study 
there ? Under whom ? What does he appear to have 
been? 

22. What is said of his life ? From what is this evident ? 

23. What trade did he acquire? What was the custom 
of the Jews 1 For what purpose ? 

24. What is said of him for some time after the death of 
Christ ? In what sin did he share ? What did he do ? 

25. What is said of him after this ? What office did he 
seek ? Where was he traveling when converted ? Can you 
describe his conversion ? What is said of him from this 
hour ? 

26. How large a portion of the Acts does his history oc- 
cupy ? With what does it end ? What is said of his re- 
maining life \ What seems probable ? What of his preach- 
ing in Spain ? 

27. What is the tradition of the ancient church ? Who is 
believed to have been the author of the fire ? To whom did 
he attribute it ? What did he do to them ? 

28. Who suffered in this persecution? How were they 
martyred ? 

29. What is said of the writings of Paul ? 

30. What is said of him further ? What was the opinion 
of Longinus ? What is said of his speeches ? What of his 
answers at the bar ? 

31. How was he adapted to bear the banners of Christi- 
anity ? 

32. What appears in his writings ? What further cir- 
cumstances are noticed ? What have his writings been 
stated to be? 



CHAPTER IV. 

1. To what were not the exertions of Paul confined? 
What did he do ? What did he write for this purpose ? 
What do they now form ? 

2. What is this Epistle in order of time ? Why placed 
first? 

3. About what has much discussion taken place ? What 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 45 

do some pretend ? What, others ? If either had founded 
the church, what would have been seen in this Epistle ? 

4. What is the most reasonable and probable opinion ? 

5. From whence was this Epistle written? Who had 
come thither ? Why ? VVhat does Paul desire to do ? Not 
being able to do this, what does he do ? 

6. Of whom was the church at Rome composed ? What 
had arisen between them ? For what purpose did he write 
this letter ? 

7. When was it probably written ? How does Macknight 
characterize this Epistle ? 

8. By whom was the church in Corinth founded? How 
long did Paul reside here ? How was the peace of the 
church disturbed? What was the cause of these dissen- 
sions ? What besides occurred among the professed mem- 
bers? 

9. Where did Paul receive information of this ? How ? 
What disorders are mentioned ? What did the church send 
to Paul ? 

10. How does the apostle treat these topics \ 

11. When written? 

12. Where did Paul go from Ephesus? Whom did he 
expect to meet ? What did he wish to learn ? Not meeting 
him, where did Paul go ? What did he receive ? From 
whence did he write the second letter ? How long after the 
first? 

13. How had the previous letter been received ? Of what 
did they accuse him ? 

14. How does the apostle meet these ? 

15. What is the most marked characteristic in the Epistle ? 
By what was he opposed ? What is it wonderful to hear ? 

16. Does he shrink from the contest ? What does he do ? 
What is inconceivable ? Had there been imposture, what 
would have happened ? 

17. When was the gospel preached in Galatia? By whom ? 
What do we learn in the Acts of the Apostles ? 

18. When was the Epistle written ? From whence ? Why 
not from Rome ? 

19. What is said of Judaizing teachers ? What did these 
teachers do ? What deny ? What insist upon ? What was 
the effect of their teaching ? 

20. How did Paul write this? How usually? What 
does he assert ? What repeat ? Why ? What expose ? 
Demonstrating what ? What revive ? 

21. By whom was the church at Ephesus founded ? When ? 
What did he do there at this time ? Where was he called ? 

22 



46 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

22. When did he return ? With how good success did he 
preach ? How long did he remain there ? On what occasion 
did he send for the elders of the church ? What then trans- 
pired ? What did he exhort them to do ? 

23. From whence was this Epistle written ? When was 
the Epistle evidently written ? In what part of his confine- 
ment ? 

24. What was Paul peculiarly ? Why was he a prisoner ? 
Of what was he apprehensive ? For what purpose did he 
write this Epistle ? 

25. What does he show them ? What does he encourage 
them to do ? How ? What does he urge ? 

26. What is the style of this Epistle ? What says Dr. 
Macknight ? 



CHAPTER V. 

1. By whom was the Epistle to the Philippians written? 
Where ? How does this appear ? 

2. When was it probably written ? How is this shown ? 

3. What is said of this Epistle? What is said of Phi- 
lippi ? What of the church formed here ? 

4. What does Home observe of this Epistle ? What per- 
vades the Epistle ? What is said of its style ? 

5. What had the church at Philippi manifested ? Who 
only helped Paul when preaching in Macedonia ? What did 
they do while Paul was at Thessalonica ? Why ? Where 
else did they do the same ? What had they done at this 
time ? What did Paul send them in return ? 

6. What surprise us ? How can this be accounted for ? 
What did he not receive from other churches ? 

7. What further consideration is mentioned in reference to 
his trade ? Who helped him in this strait ? 

8. Where was the town of Colosse ? 

9. Did Paul found a church here ? 

10. Who may probably have founded it ? Where might 
some of the Colossians have heard him preach ? Who also 
is mentioned as perhaps an early preacher in Colosse ? How 
does this appear ? 

11. To what is this Epistle similar? What does the above 
writer remark ? 

12. What seems probable ? What confirms this ? Who 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 47 

do we learn was with him ? What other Epistle, therefore, 
was written at the same time ? 

13. What was the occasion of this Epistle ? From what 
source did their troubles arise ? What has the apostle done 
in his letter ? 

14. When was a church established in Thessalonica ? By 
whom ? Where do we find an account of it ? 

15. Of what was the church composed? What did the 
unbelieving Jews do ? Where did Paul flee ? 

16. Whom did he send in his place ? Where did he write 
the First Epistle ? From whence ? 

17. What was the letter occasioned by ? For what purpose 
does he write ? 

18. What is said of the Second Epistle ? What reason is 
given for this ? 

19. What was the occasion of the second letter ? 

20. What did he again command ? What does he then 
proceed to do ? What does he inform them ? What exhort 
them ? 

21. What is said of Timothy? Of what place a native? 
What is said of his mother ? 

22. What does St. Paul style him? When did his conver- 
sion probably take place ? 

23. When did he take Timothy with him ? On account 
of what ? What did he first do ? Why ? 

24. To what was Timothy regularly appointed ? What is 
said of him from this time ? How mentioned by St. 
Paul? 

25. What does ecclesiastical history inform us ? 

26. What is difficult to determine ? What is the probable 
date X Where was Timothy ? Why did Paul write ? 

27. What was another design of the apostle ? What did 
he desire to press upon him ? . 

28. What is evident concerning the Second Epistle? 
What is probable ? What was the immediate design ? 

29. What does he give him in this letter ? 

30. What does this letter exhibit ? What is said of this 
excellent writing? What of the impression it will 
make ? 

31. What says Dr. Benson ? 



48 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL, 



CHAPTER VI. 

1. Does the name of Titus occur in the Acts? What is 
said of him ? 

2. Of what nation was he ? What does Paul style him ? 
What is inferred from this ? 

3. When is he first mentioned ? What does St. Paul say 
of him at this time 1 Whither did he probably accompany 
Paul ? What is said of him from that time ? 

4. Whither did St. Paul send him ? Why did he send him 
the second time ? What is said of him after this ? 

5. Where did he probably go ? 

6. Where did he go during Paul's second imprisonment ? 
What happened to him after Paul's death ? 

7. When was this letter sent to him ? Where was Titus ? 

8. For what was it intended ? What instructions did it 
give him ? 

9. Who was Philemon % Who was Onesimus ? With what 
sent to his master ? 

10. What is said of Philemon ? 

11. Where was the letter written ? When sent ? 

12. Is it known whether Onesimus was pardoned ? What 
is conjectured \ What is an evidence of this ? 

13. What is said of the whole Epistle ? 

14. What must be the effect of its perusal ? What do we 
see here ? What further remarks are made ? 

15. What is said of the book of Hebrews ? Concerning 
what is there controversy ? 

16. What has led some to question whether it was an Epis- 
tle ? What are the evidences to the contrary of this ? 

17. In what language was it written \ What was an ancient 
opinion ? 

18. To whom has it been ascribed ? Why objecting to Paul ? 
By whom have these objections been met ? What has been 
proved \ 

19. Where was it written ? Before what event ? 

20. To whom was it addressed ? What was the more an- 
cient opinion ? 

21. What is the object of the writer ? 

22. What does Dr. Hales say of this Epistle ? 

23. What confirms its divine inspiration ? 

24. What do we find here in reference to the great doctrines 
of the New Testament ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 49 



CHAPTER VII. 

1. Why was James surnamed the Less ? 

2. Whose son was he ? Of whom a near relation ? How 
is it evident that he was an apostle ? 

3. Where is he mentioned ? What appointment did he re- 
ceive ? What was the probable reason of his being selected ? 
How did he discharge his office ? 

4. On what important occasion did he preside ? What is 
said of the decision ? 

5. How was his life terminated? State the circum- 
stances. 

6. What did the apostle do ? What did the Jews then do ? 
How did he die ? 

7. When was the Epistle written ? 

8. What was its design ? 

9. What was the principal source of these errors ? What 
had the apostle meant \ What inference had been drawn ? 

10. How does the apostle treat this ? What does he en- 
force ? What does he intimate ? How close ? 

11. What is said of this Epistle ? Why is it not so replete 
with the doctrines of Christianity ? What does it contain ? 



CHAPTER VIII. 

1. What is said of Peter % 

2. What is said of his brother Andrew ? On what occa- 
sion was Andrew present ? What did he afterward say to 
Simon ? What did he do with him ? What did they become 
from this time ? 

3. What high honor did Peter enjoy on three occasions ? 
What did Peter receive at other times from his Master ? 

4. Was he single, or married ? Where did he reside ? 
Where did our Lord reside when in Capernaum ? 

5. When Jesus asked what opinion his apostles enter- 
tained of him, what did Peter answer? What did Jesus 
declare ? What did he say ? Alluding to what ? 

6. What is the opinion of some writers respecting these 
words ? Who in particular hold to this ? What do they 

4 



50 BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 

attempt to justify from it? What do others, with more 
reason, suppose ? 

7. What will no one say ? Upon what was it built ? What 
in reference to the power of " binding and loosing ?" 

8. To what did Peter make his confession ? For whom, 
therefore, was the reply of Jesus designed ? What alone was 
peculiar to him ? How conferred ? 

9. How are his distinguishing features portrayed in the 
gospel history ? What does it enhance ? How does it do 
this? 

10. Where do his presumption and self-confidence appear ? 
Where his weakness ? What was his course then ? 

11. What probably kept him from the cross? When did 
he next see our Lord ? What opportunity did our Lord 
afterward give him ? 

12. What exhibition of the humility and determined 
spirit of Peter was afterward given? Where is this 
recorded ? 

13. What is said of his final labors ? Where did he tra- 
vel ? When did he reach Rome ? 

14. What is said of Paul ? What happened to him here ? 
How was he crucified ? Why ? What is the tradition 
respecting his wife ? 

15. How many Epistles did he write ? What is said of 
them? 

16. To whom were they written ? 

17. Of what does the apostle speak in these ? What 
have some supposed on this account ? What is the most 
probable opinion ? 

18. When was the First Epistle written ? What was its 
design ? 

19. What appears from the history of the times ? What 
are Christians exhorted to do ? 

20. Finally, what did he exhort them to lead ? Why ? 

21. When was the Second Epistle written? What does 
Dr. Lardner think? 

22. What did these accounts induce him to do ? When ? 
What is the design ? What does he warn them against ? 



BIBLE SCHOLAR'S MANUAL. 51 



CHAPTER IX. 

1. Is there any doubt about the authorship of the Epistles 
bearing the name of John ? 

2. What rather strengthens this opinion ? What more de- 
cisive evidence is given ? 

3. When do some think they were written ? What is the 
most probable opinion ? 

4. What is said of the place from whence written ? 

5. What is the first book styled ? Does it bear the marks 
of an Epistle ? What says Bishop Horsley ? 

6. What may it be considered ? What is said of it ? 

7. What is the design of this treatise ? 

8. When did these principles begin to appear ? By whom 
afterward maintained ? 

9. To whom is the Second Epistle directed ? 

10. What is said of the matter of the Second Epistle ? 
What does he chiefly beseech her ? When was this written ? 

11. To whom is the Third Epistle written ? Who was this ? 

12. Mention the different persons of this name. 

13. Which one of these do modern critics fix upon ? 

14. What is the scope of this Epistle ? 

1 5. Of what other book was John the author ? 

16. When was this book written ? When did Domitian's 
death occur ? What then happened ? What was soon after 
published ? 

17. What was the occasion of its being written ? 

18. What was its design ? 

19. What does Danbez sayof this prophecy? 

20. To what has it given rise ? What is said of its figura- 
tive language, &c. ? 

21. What was Jude surnamed ? Whose son was he ? To 
whom brother ? One of what ? 

22. What is said of him ? What is the only incident related ? 

23. What is conjectured ? What have some asserted ? 
What is said of this ? 

24. When was his Epistle written ? To whom ad- 
dressed ? 

25. What was its design ? What did they teach ? 
W T hat is here shown ? To what is the true believer 
exhorted ? 



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